Redemption
by RoninSenshi
Summary: PostMovie. Edward and Alphonse are stuck in 20th century Europe, though reunited at last. Edward reluctantly resigns to this fate, unknowing of two secrets Winry has fearfully kept hidden. However Al remains hopeful of returning, and rightly so.
1. Loss

All characters belong respectfully to Arakawa-san. We all love and adore her. BOW MORTALS! Heh, yeah...well, here's the start.

* * *

"Colonel, that was Ed, wasn't it?" Roy Mustang gave Winry a sad gaze.

"Al too?" Mustang simply tilted his head. 'Yes'. Winry moved her bangs so they covered her eyes. She did not want to cry. Not here, in front of everyone. But...she buried her face in the Colonel's uniform.

"I can't keep them close to me at all." She whispered hoarsely, "They keep slipping away." The Colonel placed his hands on her shoulders, setting her a step back from him. Then, without a word, he began to walk. Winry followed him at a short distance. They wound their way through the rubble that had been East City not half an hour before. It was ten minutes before Winry recognized where Mustang must be headed.

"Roy," she pulled on back his uniform to make him stop, "Why are you going to the city underground?" Roy made no noise. He did not turn around. He just started walking again. Winry did not. Why was he not saying anything?

"What did Ed tell you to do?" she screamed at his back. She started running as fast as she could towards him, not sure what she was going to do when she caught up. However, she was saved that decision. At the exact moment she reached him, he disappeared below ground. Winry jumped in after him.

She let out a yelp of pain when she hit the bottom. On the way down, her left leg caught on protruding metal that caused her to land at a painful angle. She swallowed the pain as quickly as she could and pulled her body to the edge of the railing. Below, Roy was already standing at the edge of a large transmutation circle, right where Edward had appeared from the other world. It hit her; she knew exactly what he was going to do.

"DON'T!" Roy spun around.

"Winry..."

"Please! I don't care what he told you to do! You can't do this! You can't take them away forever!" Winry pleaded. "What about—"

"I can't let anything like this happen again!" Roy shouted back.

"I didn't tell him!" Winry cried desperately, reaching through the rails as if she could reach him, her eyes streaming. "You were there that whole time, and I'm grateful...and you know them. Please...you can't do this to them..." she said faintly. Nevertheless, Roy bent over the rune.

"Winry...please forgive me."

"NO!" A bright light leapt from the ground, stalling every shadow until it consumed the lost city.

* * *

Yes, short. It's like one of those 2-minute movie intros that's not too interesting, but still important. Next chapter will be quite a bit longer. 


	2. Guilt

Yeah, so this is the first part I wrote, at about 2:00 am at Japanese camp, devoid of iPod and all other forms of electronics (they weren't in Japanese -. ) so I suppose it's more than likely out of character. I just felt at the end of the movie that everything was building up inside Edward, and he had to break sometime. God knows he's strong (no shit!) but everything felt so close to the surface...is that just me? Well anyway, enter 1919 Germany, just barely inside the borders.

* * *

"Ni-san, won't you try to enjoy the festival?" Alphonse Elric prodded his brother's arm. Ed slapped his hand.

"We should be celebrating; we finally got rid of that bomb." Al pressed.

"So?" Edward mumbled.

"There are some very pretty girls here tonight." coaxed Al.

"So?" Ed muttered again. Al sighed, defeated.

"Fine, you win. Let's go." Edward slid off his seat.

"The stars are pretty tonight, aren't they Ni-san?" said Al in another attempt at conversation. "They look just like the ones in Resembul." Edward stopped and glanced up.

"No they don't." he said simply, and turned his eyes back to the ground.

"But they're still pretty." insisted Al. "See how the river's reflecting them? We should sit and enjoy it for awhile." Before Al finished his sentence, Edward sat. Al copied him, and for a while the two brothers gazed at the stars' reflections in silence.

"I'm sorry Al." Edward said at length. "I really screwed things up for us, didn't I?" Al smiled.

"There'll be other festivals Ni-san." Al smiled heavily, knowing full well that was not what Edward meant. Ed started picking at the grass.

"Thinking about home?" Ed gave the grass a violent yank.

"I've tried to accept this world Al. But..." he trailed off

"It's not the same." Al finished

"Remember when we saw the Colonel at a bar in England?" asked Ed.

"Yeah! He jumped on a table and started singing 'God Save the Queen'." Al laughed at the memory.

"But it wasn't Roy Mustang, was it Al? It was Ryan Dule." Al stopped laughing.

"And we saw Major Armstrong in Belgium." Ed continued solemnly. "Or rather, we saw Scott Peters. Oh, and there was Katie in Norway."

"I still think she liked you Ni-san." said Al. Edward scoffed. "But as I recall, you didn't like her much. You made her cry when she offered to let us stay."

"I don't like girls with short hair." said Edward replied shortly.

"Winry used to have short hair too." reminded Al.

"It looked better on her." Ed lay back on the grass with an air that he had just finished the conversation.

"I think you were just mad she wasn't Winry." said Al bluntly. Ed groaned slightly up at the sky.

"Maybe." A glazed look appeared in Edward's eyes, staring into a future only he could see. "Maybe if we were still in our world, we'd have a house in Resembul again." A smile played on his lips as he spoke. "I'd finally give Mustang a punch in the face. We could go anywhere we felt like. We'd have stew at Winry's all the time...She could come traveling with us if she wanted. She'd like that. We always left her out..." Ed's grin faded and his gold eyes dimmed. "And if we wanted to stop wandering for awhile, we could go back to our house in Resembul...stay up all night just to see what sunrise was like that day..."

"This doesn't include me anymore, does it Ni-san?" asked Al quietly. There was a long pause before Ed said anything.

"Al," his voice was barely audible, "Did we make a mistake when we collapsed the gate?"

"What do you mean?" Ed opened his mouth to speak, thought about it, and closed his mouth.

"Nevermind." He muttered, and rolled over so that his back was to Al. Seconds later, Al saw Edward's hand moved to his face and heard a stifled sniff.

"Ni-san..."

"Shut up Al." Ed snapped.

"Ni-san," Al began again, "You don't have to—"

"Shut up Alphonse!" Al placed a hand on Edward's shoulder. Ed tried to shrug it off, but Al did not let go. He pushed Edward up enough to slip an arm around his shoulders. Reluctantly, Ed leaned into his brother's embrace.

"It's okay." Al lulled. Edward covered his mouth and bit down on fingers, determined not to cry out. He gulped down the convulsions running through his body...but nothing stayed his heart's guilt.

"It's all my fault." he choked. "I'm sorry Al, this is all my fault...I deserve this."

"No you don't! Neither of us do!" Al rebuked firmly. "How can you say that?"

"I'm so sorry Al." Edward repeated softly. "I wish I'd never closed that gate. I hate that I did this to you...to her."

"Winry understands Ni-san."

"I don't want her to..." A cool wind brushed over the river, dissolving his body to tremors. Al hugged him closer.

"I hate this Al." Edward whispered into his jacket. Al kissed the top of his head.

"So do I." Ed took a few deep steadying breaths before wiping his face clean. He stood up, stretching his arms.

"Com on," he said, "I want to be at the French border by morning."

"We can rest for a few days if you want Ni-san." Edward shook his head.

"No. What I talked about—that house in Resembul...it's a dream, not reality. As for Winry," Ed held up his right arm, "This is all I have left of her, so lets put it to good use. Let's go Al."

"She'll never stop waiting for you." Al told him sullenly.

"I know."

"Ni-san?"

"Hm?"

"She loves you too."

"...Yeah. I know."

* * *

Shitsumon arimasu...does anyone continue to watch Shamballa and still wonder if it'll turn out different than it did the last time you watched it? Ja, mata ne. 


	3. Those Left Behind

I've come to the conclusion that fanfiction won't let me have indents, so imagine them please. Why they deny me this simple function I don't know...it's really annoying though. I'm something of a grammatical Nazi. Not to say I like the Nazis. Jews and gay people are awesome. But if bad grammar was Jews from 1939-1945, then I'd be a Nazi. I think that's a bad analogy...Anyway, arigats to people who reviewed. And Kasan-Mother, Otousan-Father, but I think we all know that by now. Oh yeah...

All characters belong respectfully to Arakawa Hiromu, the Manga no Kami-sama.

* * *

"Kasan! Kasan!" Ryan ran into his mother's workshop. "Roy and Alex are here!"

"Good afternoon miss." Colonel Roy Mustang said, taking off his hat.

"You're early Colonel." Winry turned away from her desk, slipping out of her thick yellow work gloves. "I had planned to clean up a little before you got here. Scheiska and Riza aren't coming?"

"The military's preparing for this year's State Alchemist exam. Someone had to setup." Roy smirked.

"Someone meaning not you?"

"Something like that. What is it Ryan?" Ryan had been tugging on Roy's shirt for the past minute. He stretched his arms up to Roy in a manner that clearly said 'pick me up'. Roy tossed him in the air on the way up.

"Show me alchemy." Ryan ordered.

"Alright. What should I set on fire?"

"Kasan's hair!" Ryan exclaimed, pointing at Winry. Winry grabbed her hair protectively with one hand while pushing Roy out of the room with the other as he laughed.

"Kasan's hair is still recovering from last time. And you are not putting my lab in flames again either. If you want fire, burn the field, but not my automail. Move it Mustang." Winry ushered him outside and locked the door behind her.

"Kasan's crazy, isn't she Roy?" said Ryan.

"A little."

"Ryan, why don't you go find your sister and bring her in for dinner?" Winry suggested.

"Ok." Ryan squirmed out of Roy's arms and hit the ground running.

"Where's Alex?" asked Winry.

"Brigadier General Armstrong is picking flowers with your daughter." replied Roy, grinning. Clearly the idea of the large Alex Louis Armstrong in a meadow picking flowers amused him.

"I bet Anna's enjoying that. Well, we'd better go find them. I'd bet anything that Ryan's forgotten what he's supposed to do."

---------------------------------------------------

Ryan had indeed forgotten. Winry and Roy found Anna out in a filed placing a flower crown on Armstrong's shiny bald head.

"Anna, it's time for dinner." Winry called.

"Kasan!" Anna finished Armstrong's crown and trotted over to her mother and Roy.

"This is for you Roy." Anna handed him a white daisy. Roy bent down to take it.

"Thank you very much Anna. I'll put it right here so everyone can see." Roy smiled brightly and tucked it into his front pocket. Anna grinned broadly at him.

"This is for you Kasan." Anna gave Winry a yellow flower.

"Thank you honey."

"And this one is Otousan's." She held up a perfect white flower that was streaked with purple. Winry took it, smiling.

"I'm sure he'll love it."

--------------------------------------------------

"Stop laughing Ryan!" Anna shouted. Ryan found the concept of Armstrong wearing a flower crown highly entertaining.

"It's funny!" said Ryan, gasping for air.

"Is not! It's pretty!" argued Anna, but her declaration just brought new waves of laughter from Ryan.

"You have to stop it Ryan!" demanded Anna.

"Why?"

"Because I'm older and I said so!" Now Ryan really did stop laughing.

"Only by two minutes." grumbled Ryan, and went back to his job of stirring the soup.

"Alright Anna." said Winry. "Since you're big I'll let you peel potatoes tonight. Just be careful of your fingers."

"I will!" said Anna, climbing onto the counter so she could reach the sink and the potatoes. Winry handed her the peeler.

"As for you two." Winry turned her attention to Mustang and Armstrong. "You're in Resembul. Go take off your military uniforms. Both of you still have a change of clothing here from last time."

"Yes ma'am." answered Armstrong, and both he and Mustang left the room.

----------------------------------------

"Thank you Miss Winry." said Armstrong, patting his stomach.

"Let us help clean up." offered Roy. "There are a lot of dishes."

"Oh, I'm not cleaning up. I'm just taking them into the kitchen." explained Winry. "Take Anna and Ryan into the living room please. Entertain them, but don't set the house on fire or build any gym sets." With slightly disheartened looks, Mustang and Armstrong led the twins into the sitting room. However, when she entered the living room five minutes later, a small lemon tree was blazing in the corner.

"I said no alchemy!" Winry shouted.

"You said he couldn't set the house on fire Kasan." Anna pointed out. "That's a plant."

"What are you supposed to do with four children in the house?" said Winry, exasperated. She slumped down on the couch.

"More fire!" Ryan said to Roy, pointing at his gloves. Roy glanced to Winry for permission. Winry waved her hand in a manner that said, "if you must". Roy snapped his fingers. The hearth burst into flame. Anna and Ryan clapped their hands and danced in front of the fireplace.

"I'm gonna be a State Alchemist like you Roy!" Ryan said, squatting at eye level to the fire.

"Me too!" said Anna, plopping down on Roy's lap.

"You'll have to study hard." reminded Armstrong.

"We will!" replied Anna. "We'll be the best—" Anna started to flop forward. Roy caught the back of her shirt.

"Oops, be careful."

"You know what that means." said Winry, standing up. "Bed time." Ryan and Anna groaned simultaneously.

"I'm not tired." yawned Ryan.

"Come on..." Winry coaxed, holding out her hands, "I'll tell you a story." Anna and Ryan grabbed her hand.

"I wanna hear about the time Otousan and Uncle Al fought Scar." said Ryan immediately.

"No, ho-mun-iluc-lus." Anna said the word slowly, trying to pronounce it. Winry giggled.

"You mean homunculus?"

"Yeah! Those!"

"Not that Anna." Ryan groaned.

"Why not?"

"You can't make people. Kasan made that up. I wanna hear something real."

"They are too real!" Anna argued.

"Are not!"

"I bet you're shorter than Otousan!" said Anna. Ryan raised two small fists dangerously.

"Am not!" he disputed.

"Quit it you two." Winry reprimanded gently.

Anna and Ryan's voices faded up the stairs.

"Miss Winry is a good mother for being the youthful age of nineteen." commented Armstrong.

"She's a good mother no matter her age." said Roy.

"Indeed she is. Well, tomorrow's day begins at sunrise. I must retire. You too have an early day Colonel. You wouldn't want to be demoted so soon after regaining your former rank."

"I'm going to stick around for a bit. Good night Brigadier General." Armstrong struck a salute. Roy smirked.

"I realize I'm your subordinate now, but we're off duty." Armstrong relaxed his stance.

"So we are. Good night Colonel. Give my regards to Miss Winry." Roy nodded, and Armstrong parted company.

----------------------------------------------

It was nearly thirty minutes later that Winry returned.

"Oh, Roy, you're still here? I thought you would have left."

"Not without saying good bye." answered Roy.

"I'm sorry that took so long. I had to tell both stories and then read _An Introduction to Alchemy_ before they fell asleep."

"They seem to love it." Roy commented passively. Winry nodded.

"Ryan will sit for hours just looking at alchemy books. So will Anna, but she'll lose interest after awhile. But Ryan...he doesn't even know how to read yet. He just loves the transmutation circles. He's turning out to be just like his father." said Winry fondly.

"He looks just like Edward too." Roy agreed.

"Yeah...he does." The fondness in her voice faded to something resembling sorrow. "I just...wish he knew. When he came back a while ago, it was so brief...I couldn't find the words anyway." Winry bit her lip. Despite her efforts however, she felt hot tears begin to trickle down her face. "I'm sorry..." she wiped her face with her sleeve. "It's just hard to think of how things should be and how they are. Ed always talked about Equivalent Trade, but if there were such a thing, it wouldn't be like this..." Roy placed a comforting arm around her.

"Ryan and Anna keep asking about him. They want to know when he's going to come here so they can meet him. I bought Anna a locket a week ago. She put his picture in it and hasn't taken it off since. She's collected a yard of dried flowers for him. Julian holds on to his old alchemy books as if they're part of his soul. He won't go to the grocery store without one of them."

"Miss Winry..." Fresh tears came to Winry's eyes.

"And I hardly know what to tell them anymore," her voice started to crack, "they'll never meet him. I'll never see Edward or Al again." Winry gave a watery smile and made a half laughing half-choking sound. "You know what I did once? I got so angry I went out to the field and shouted 'Bean midget, get back here you grain of rice' plus some other short names. I fully expected him to pop out of the ground and yell at me. I waited two hours for him to do it." Her feeble smile fell. "I guess that's what I'll be doing the rest of my life; waiting. I could never forgive myself if I stopped." She wiped her eyes one last time and looked up at Roy, producing a frail grin once more.

"I'm sorry Colonel. I just rambled on to you. You need to stop me if I ever do that again."

"On the contrary Miss Winry..." said the Colonel sadly, "it is far too much for a young lady like yourself to bear. You should let your friends help you more." Winry embraced him gently.

"I want to thank you Roy." She said, pulling away. "Ever since Edward disappeared to that world, you've been here for us every day, no matter what you were doing. I can't tell you how much that means. Despite what you've done in the past...I don't blame you for my parents' deaths. I think you're a good person, and I consider you one of my closest friends." Roy sank into a deep bow.

Roy Mustang stepped out into the fresh night air. He thoroughly despised that he had to leave. Even more at the moment, he loathed Edward Elric. He hated how he made Winry wait, how he was not here. He hated him from his red jacket to his antenna, that stupid piece of hair in front that never seemed to want to lay flat. Roy gazed up at the clear azure country sky.

"Fullmetal, when you come back I'm going to flay you."

* * *

It sounds a little like he's talking about an Edward barbeque...flay is something you would do to hamburgers. Heheh, I like imagining Ryan and Anna. I give much of a description of them in this one, except that Ryan looks just like a mini-Ed. Sou da, he looks just like Ed did in the third episode: Kasan. Anna looks a little like Winry except that she's got gold eyes and the same shade of blonde as Ed. They take after their daddy for the most part. Heh, I don't know about you, but I get le giggles thinking about little Ed's running around. I swear, I saw Ed, then Winry and immediately saw little Ed's...shut up, I'm lacking in sleep... 


	4. Books

'Ello poppit. Thanks for the reviews guys. To one of them: No, sorry, Roy's feelings for Winry are entirely platonic. He wants to protect her and help her as much as he can. He feels responsible for Edward's absence, and tries to fill that void as best he can. He loves her, yes, but only to the point of an overprotective brother. And incest is just wrong. Besides, it goes against my doctrine: You don't make pretty boys sad. Just look at Smallville, or the second Pirates of the Caribbean. Elizabeth made a pretty boy sad, that skank. See? You just don't make pretty boys sad. Edward qualifies. I will not make him sad like that, if I did, well...he'd probably kill Roy.

* * *

"Colonel."

"What is it Havoc?" Roy spat.

"There are several alchemical ingredients missing from the State storeroom."

"I don't give a damn about missing ingredients Havoc."

"Sir, these are substances carefully monitored by the military, they're illegal. We have them to use only in desperate situations."

"I said I don't give a damn." growled Roy.

"But Colonel—"

"Look Havoc," Roy slammed his book shut and stood up so quickly his desk slid forward. "In case you're blind my desk is covered in papers and notes and very old filth caked books. I'm working on something very important. I don't give a shit about missing ingredients. If you really want to help, go find me Fullmetal's notes. His true notes, not more of the chicken scratch Fuery dug up."

"Yes, sir!" Havoc saluted and jogged out of the room. Roy sat back down and returned the desk to it's original spot. He did not spend more than a few seconds looking at his chaotic notes before he slid down in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Colonel."

"What is it Riza?" he said wearily, not bothering to open his eyes.

"You seem tense." Roy grinned and chuckled out of exhaustion.

"I might be a little tense."

"Is there anything I can do?" Riza offered.

"Yeah, be more careful when you're swiping ingredients."

"I didn't get caught." defended Riza.

"No you didn't." Roy sighed. "Thanks for that by the way."

"You're welcome. Is there a chance you'll tell me what it's for?" Roy looked over at her and shook his head.

"Are you following orders from Central?" Roy shook his head again.

"Personal endeavor?" Riza continued guessing.

"I'm sorry."

"I suppose we'll all find out soon enough."

"Not at the rate this research is going." said Roy, flicking his notes.

"Is there anything else I can do?" asked Riza again.

"How about a lap dance?" Roy smirked. Riza rolled her eyes.

Havoc rushed back in carrying a dusty box. He set it on Mustang's desk.

"Don't you think you could have taken a little longer Havoc? I was about to get a lap dance." said Mustang in pretend annoyance. Havoc glanced at Riza.

"I call next." Riza ignored him.

"Did you get what you needed sir?" The Colonel took a handful of papers out of the box.

"Elric was never one to keep decent notes..." he said with a disheartened look. "Oh well...quality over quantity, right? I hope the kid didn't make a code..."

-------------------------------------------------------------

"...nel...Colonel." Roy Mustang jumped into the waking world.

"Ugh..." He rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost four." replied Hawkeye. "We need to catch a train to Resembul."

"We?"

"I decided to go with you today." Roy smiled.

"Winry will like that. She's missed you the past week." He gathered up his notes and a few books and stuffed them carelessly in a briefcase in his briefcase.

"That damn kid." he grumbled, glancing at a few of the papers, "His code is nearly impossible, I don't know how he can even read this...it's a travel brochure or something...I bet he made it hard just incase I tried to read it...Ah well, let's go Lieutenant."

Anna jumped into Roy's arms at the Resembul train station while Ryan latched onto Hawkeye's leg.

"Hi Winry!" Riza waved, limping over.

"What happened to your head Colonel?" inquired Winry, referring to the large red bump on the Colonel's forehead. Roy brushed his bangs over the lump, but did not answer.

"He hasn't been sleeping lately, so he fell asleep on the train and when it stopped, he didn't." Riza explained.

"Ouch." commented Winry.

"I'll make it better." said Anna, and kissed the red spot.

"Thank you very much." said Roy, smiling. "It already feels better."

"That's what Kasan does when I get a cut and it always feels better."

"I guess you inherited her magic touch." said Roy. Anna beamed at him.

"Guess what Riza?" said Ryan, tapping her knee.

"What?" asked Riza, picking Ryan up off her leg.

"Kasan said we're going on a picnic for dinner!"

"That's great! I love picnics! Where are we going?"

"The back yard." answered Winry. "Kasan has annoying clients that like to come in during work hours, so we can't stray too far."

"When we have a real picnic," said Anna, "We're going to show you our favorite tree. It has lots of shade and it's real good for climbing in."

"It sounds great." said Roy.

"It is." Ryan chirped in. "But you have to wait. Anna and me are saving it for a big super picnic when Otousan and Uncle Al come back." Roy saw Winry's beat fall momentarily, but she picked it back up with a smile.

"We'd better hurry back. We wouldn't want it to get dark on our picnic, would we?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winry was kept busy through almost all of dinner. It seemed like all her clients had decided to go see her that day. She ushered her last visitor out at eight o'clock sharp and slumped into an armchair.

"You're very busy these days." said Riza, tying off the braid she had put in Anna's hair.

"They keep growing." answered Winry, pointing at Ryan and Anna. "But I really blame it on Ed. He got so famous around the East, now everyone is coming to get their automail done by the mechanic of the Fullmetal Alchemist. I can't complain though. I don't remember a time when we were this well off."  
"Roy, I wanna show you otousan's books." Ryan tugged on Roy's jacket.

"You showed me all of them." said Roy, yawning.

"Not these, I just found them. But you can't see any words. Otousan wrote all over them." Roy suddenly found himself wide-awake.

"Well then, we should take a look." Ryan led him away.

----------------------------------------------------------

_Then, I should be able to—_

"Roy, are you done yet?" Ryan moaned. Roy tore his gaze away from the book in his hand.

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry Ryan. Yes, I'm done." Roy gathered seven or eight books and several loose papers into his arms.

"Alright Ryan, let's go." But in the time it had taken Roy to collect his material, Ryan had fallen asleep on the floor.

"My apologies Miss Winry. I'm afraid I bored your son to sleep" Roy entered the living room with a stack of books in one arm and Ryan in the other. "I'm sorry for taking so long. May a borrow these?" he nodded to the books.  
"Of course. Give him here…" Roy slid Ryan off his arm and into Winry's.  
"I was just telling her that you had something to give her." said Riza pointedly.  
"Oh! Right!" Roy set the books down on a stair. "I can't believe I forgot. I must have been too excited about the books. I meant to give this to you after dinner so Ryan and Anna could look at it too, but you can show them tomorrow. Anyway…" Roy pulled a silver pocket watch out of his coat pocket.  
"You're drafting me?" said Winry curiously, eyeing the military rune on the watch.  
"Open it." Roy smiled gently. Winry took the watch. She had to jiggle the clasp a little, but it soon gave way.

For a moment, she thought it was an ordinary watch. Then, her eyes fell on an engraving.  
_  
__Don't forget __  
__3, Oct.10 __  
_  
Her mouth went dry.  
"You found it." Was all she managed to say.  
"When we were cleaning up Lior." said Riza. Winry rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.  
"I'm sorry." said Mustang immediately. "I didn't mean for it to be sad."  
"It's not." Winry brushed the hair out of her face. She was smiling. "I'm crying because you found it. Ryan and Anna will be so happy, thank you."

------------------------------------------------------

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Riza asked once the door closed. Roy smirked.

"Yeah."

"Before you begin again, get some sleep sir."

"Lieutenant—no, Riza, I need your help once more."

"More than swiping ingredients?" Mustang shook his hair back under his hat.

"We're going back to the office Riza."

"Why?" Roy's smirked turned into a grin.

"Because, if I'm right, by the end of the week those kids with be having a picnic with their dad."

"...Sir?"

* * *

Oh, Ryan and Anna are two. "But wait, there was a three year gap between the end of the series and the movie", right? No, there wasn't. It's impossible. Ed is eighteen in the movie, I heard him say it with my own ears. Well, at the end of the series he was sixteen, wasn't he? Sixteen plus three do not an eighteen year old make. There was a two year gap. End of story.


	5. Dream

We start with Ed and Al this time! Yay! Oh, all years are Amestris time, so when I say 1919, it's actually about 1923 or so in our world. Yes, Al felt like wearing his red jacket.

* * *

"Sir...sir!" A hand grabbed the collar of Edward's coat. He turned around. A woman was bowing apologetically.

"What's that emblem?" she panted, pointing at the back of Al's jacket." Ed's mind raced to find an answer. He couldn't very well tell her it was alchemy.

"It's alchemy, right?" The woman straightened up, a slight smirk on her face.

"Se-sensei!" Al blurted out, and stumbled over his boots.

"Sensei?" she repeated curiously.

"I'm sorry about that." said Ed quickly, "We lost our teacher a few months back and my little brother still hasn't gotten over it. You're the third person today he's called 'sensei'."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry for your loss." She bowed again, "But your jacket, are you two alchemists?"

"Alchemy was lost with modernization ma'am." Edward found it hard to keep his voice calm when a flood of curiosity and excitement were flooding his veins. There was someone in this world who knew alchemy.

"Please, I'm sorry if this seems forward, but will you two join me for lunch?" Ed waved his hand with difficulty. Although every fiber of his being was aching to accept, to bombard her with questions, the rational part of his brain told him he shouldn't.

"We really can't, we're kind of in a hurry." This world was one of machines. He and Al should not waste their time shifting through the archaic alchemy of this world.

"Al." he motioned for Al to follow him out.

"Ni-san, I'm not sure—"

"Hold on!" a new voice called after them, "That rune, it's got something to do with Homunculus, hasn't it?" Immediately, Ed and Al whirled around. It took Ed a moment to find the source of the voice. Next to the woman was a child that Ed had not noticed before. He had medium-length dark hair that was tied back in a ponytail and stuffed into a hat, but the wild aura his eyes gave off was identical. He was sure this boy had a different identity, different story, but Edward only knew him by one name: _Wrath_.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Amanda Curtis, and this is my son, Alexander."

"Please to meet you." said Al kindly. Ed nodded to say 'same here.' Honestly, he was taken aback by the awkwardness of the picture. In his mind, he and Al were sitting in a brightly lit cafe across from Izumi Curtis and the Homunculus known as Wrath.

"My son and I came across this rune when we visited the tomb of Nicholas Flamel. It was etched on the side, along with several other alchemic symbols." Amanda continued.

"How did your boy know about homunculi?" asked Edward suspiciously. He was not at all inclined to trust the two sitting before him.

"Oh, well, he has quite an imagination you understand. No, he reads about artificial humans a lot, but there's really nothing more to it than that." Amanda explained. "You see, my former husband and I were scientists working behind the military. However, alchemy has always been an interest of mine. I always wondered what the world would be like if alchemy prevailed. My husband and I worked to further alchemic knowledge in hopes of making it a respected science once more. However, my husband was murdered by the military officers we worked for. I took Alexander and we've been traveling ever since. We're looking for something." The smile she had been wearing throughout her speech faded. "In the library of a monastery we read accounts of it, the 'something' we need. You two are alchemists, so there's no doubt you've heard of this." Ed's heart pounded out of a sense of foreboding. He knew what she was going to say before she finished her sentence.

"The Philosopher's Stone. We're going to bring my husband back to us, and we're going to make alchemy a respected science."

"So it was that after all." Ed sighed.

"You know something about it." said Amanda, knocking a few cups over in her excitement. Edward had the impression she would have leapt on him if the table had not been in the way.

"I've heard rumors." answered Ed, "But that's all they are. If the Stone ever existed, it doesn't anymore."

"Then I'll make one!"

"You can't." replied Ed simply.

"You're lying." Alexander's voice was eerie, quite out of place in a sunny café. "You can make it, but lots of people have to die. Momma, they know everything."

"Alexander?" Amanda furrowed her brow at her son

"Momma, my name isn't Alexander."

"What is your name?" Al asked gently. The boy started to speak, and then looked confused.

"I'm sorry." Amanda apologized. "He has these dreams and sometimes gets them confused with reality." 

"I'm sorry too. We can't help you. We're going Al." said Ed stiffly. Al placed a few francs on the table.

"We're sorry." he said, bowing slightly and jogged away to catch up to Edward.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"We should meet them again Ni-san. We could help each other." Al persisted.

"Drop it. I don't think it's a good idea. We were too close to her, and Wrath, there's something unnatural about him."

"You were the one you said this has to be our world. But we don't have to forget our own either. We don't need to push people away just because they look familiar Ni-san. ...Ni-san?" Edward was no longer walking beside him. Al glanced around. Ed was stopped about twenty feet up the block, staring into a store window. His gaze had fallen on a display of jewelry. To be specific, it was a ring with a diamond stone complemented by two smaller rich blue sapphires on either side. That was what had caught his eye.

"Ni-san?"

"Believe me Al, I haven't forgotten our world." He gave a short, exasperated laugh and rubbed his eyes to break his stare on the ring.

"What the hell am I doing? I'm ring shopping for a future that will never happen." he said, more to himself than to Al.

"...Buy it Ni-san."

"What?"

"Buy it." Al said again, more loudly.

"What for?"

"I have the sudden feeling you should buy that ring."

"We're not going back."

"You don't know what will happen!" Edward gave him a half smile that clearly said 'you're nuts'.

"Fine then! I'll buy it!" Al swooped into Ed's pocket and pulled out his wallet and checkbook, then dashed into the store.

"Wait a minute, Al!" Ed rushed after him, but the door was jammed.

"Al! Al!" He banged on the wooden door. He ran back out to the window just in time to see the ring being taken off display. Al was grinning widely at him from within the store, and then disappeared from view.

"Al!" Edward cried again to no avail. He sank to his knees below the window, desperately wishing he could use alchemy to break in.

-----------------------------------------------------

It seemed like an eternity to Ed, but in reality Al exited the store only ten minutes later.

"Here you go Ni-san." Al smiled, tossing him a small black velvet box. It bounced of Edward's head and into his lap. For a moment he simply stared at it. Then, like a pack of fireworks being set off, he jumped up and, like fireworks, exploded.

"Al! What the hell did you think you were doing! I said '_no'_, doesn't that count for anything? What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing huh? Where's the receipt? I'm returning it!"

"You still have a rather _short _temper, don't you?"

"I'm nineteen damn it! Don't call me short! Give me the receipt!" Al chuckled maliciously.

"You can't return it Ni-san, it's non-refundable. You're stuck with it."

"Screw you." he spat. Nonetheless, Edward pocketed the precious box.

"There's a good ni-san." Al cooed.

"Thanks."

"Not necessary." Al grinned.

"So...how much did it cost?"

"Wow! We've gotta find a place to stay for the night." Al started walking down the street.

"Al?" Al walked faster.

"How much was it Al? Can we afford to stay at a hotel? Al!" Edward ran after him.

"You'd better have an explanation when I catch up to you!" Ed shouted. Al turned around, he was laughing so hard tears were running down his face.

"Yeah!" he yelled back, "At least the gate didn't take your _left_ hand!"

"Alphonse!"

* * *

Heheh, oh the mental image that accompanies that makes me giggle. Well, mata ne. 


	6. History

This chapter is me buying time to figure out the rest of the story. I know how it ends up and I know vaguely how it gets there, but the details and transitions are lost on me. Don't worry though, it's still interesting. Well, I think it's interesting. It was fun to write at least (does that count as interesting?). I apologize in advance for any erm...details that you might not usually see in other stories. My mother is an obstetrician/gynecologist, so all the plumbing knowledge is second nature to me. Needless to say, I did not get the 'stork' version of where babies come from. No, I got the middle school health class version. ...When I was four. I tried hard to leave stuff out, but as I said, I apologize in advance._

* * *

_

_Four weeks_

"There you are." Winry smiled at her customer, Jenkins, and checked the joints one last time.

"Thank you Winry." Jenkins returned her grin. "But you look pale today, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Winry replied, wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow, "I'm just tired because I had to pull an all-nighter on that leg of yours."

"Much appreciated ma'am. I'll see you in two weeks for maintenance?"

"Sure will. Have a good day Jenkins." Jenkins tipped his hat at her before walking out.

One month had passed since Edward's disappearance. Al had left to train with Izumi. Once again, Winry was left out. She was used to it though. She passed the time as she always did, with work. The daily work that slipped by her as she waited for those brothers to return home. She battled this feeling with her clients. However...there was another feeling inside her that she knew she could not suppress, not for long. In the depths of her being she buried an over whelming sadness-the sense that _he_ was never coming back. It was forever growing, forever tugging at its limits.

Winry shook her head, pushing the feelings deeper still. She took a bottle of ginger ale out of the refrigerator. Jenkins' concern had merit, she did not feel well today at all, and had not for several days. Even as she moved toward the couch to lie down, she felt nauseated. The room was starting to spin...

----------------------------------------

The face of a smiling elderly man swam before her eyes. It made her stomach churn. She rolled over the side of her bed and coughed the contents of her churning stomach onto the floor. The man rushed to her side.

"I'm sorry..." Winry muttered hoarsely.

"That's alright." The man wiped her mouth with a warm damp cloth. "It's a side effect of the medicine we gave you."

"Medicine?" she said curiously. "Where am I?"

"Hospital. These two brought you in." He motioned to a corner of the room.

"Scheiska, Riza?"

"We found you passed out in the kitchen." Scheiska explained.

"What happened?" Winry asked groggily, her head was starting to spin again.

"We were hoping you could tell us." Riza said, a slightly motherly air surrounding her voice.

"Winry." The doctor's smile was gone. "I need to talk to you." He glanced at Scheiska and Riza. "Privately." He added.

"I've got to go anyway." said Scheiska, picking her bag up off the floor. She left quietly. Riza however, hung back.

"It's alright." said Winry. "Whatever you've got to say to me, I'll tell to Riza anyway." The doctor looked between Winry and Riza, as if Winry really might not want Riza to hear what he had to say. This made Winry's stomach give an unwarranted nervous sensation that crept heat into her face.

"What is it?" she asked, unable to keep a note of anxiety out of her voice.

The doctor, looking uncomfortable said,

"You're not sick. In fact, you're perfectly healthy, which is good, because you're going to need your strength. Winry, in a little less than nine months' time, you'll be a mother of twins. You're pregnant."

The words seemed to bounce into her head on another plane of existence. They created a very surreal mist in her mind. The words echoed an unbelievable meaning, yet she knew it was true.

"Winry...?" Riza asked. The doctor stepped out, sensing the need for privacy. Riza's face was quite unlike the tough, professional exterior she usually wore. She was biting her lip, her brow furrowed in concern and her brown eyes filled with a mix of shock and worry.

Winry lifted her now streaming face to look at Riza.

"Oh, Winry..." Riza embraced her firmly, "I'll help, I'll beat him up for you if you'd like." Winry broke away.

"You can't." she said, wiping her face with the bed sheets, "He vanished fighting Homunculi."

Riza stared at her incredulously.

"You mean..." Winry nodded.

"But I'm not crying because I'm sad...I'm happy! It's like he's not gone, not completely. I want to do this more than anything! But if you can find him, by all means, beat him up. It'll serve him right."

Riza hugged her again.

"I'll be here for you." she said gently.

-----------------------------------------------

Word seemed to spread quickly that Winry Rockbell was pregnant with Edward Elric's children. She was bombarded by visitors, most of them loyal customers. All of them offered her help, or advice. Many of the women who visited seemed to be holding back the temptation to scream at her. One of them went into hysterics and started yelling at her, saying that Winry was much too young and admonished her for doing such a thing with the unreliable alchemist who 'floats around on whim'. She was eventually chased from the house by Den and Pinako.

The most surprising visit however came two days after Winry's visit to the doctor. Frazzled and yielding a dark circle under a bloodshot eye and a tattered black patch over the other, Roy Mustang stumbled through the front door. He dragged his feet through the rooms to where Winry sat on the couch (She was under doctor's orders to rest for a few days) and without invitation sat right beside her.

"C-Colonel!" Winry stammered; her body stiff from shock.

"Roy, you can call me Roy." His voice was raspy with exhaustion. "Is it true? Are you—? With Fullmetal's—?" Winry relaxed her muscles.

"Yeah. Two of them." she said with a struggle. It was still hard for her to even say. Roy raised his hand, pulling off a dirty and stained glove, hovering over her abdomen.

"Can...I?"

"It's too early to feel anything really..." Roy's eyes sorrowed momentarily. "—but if you want to." Winry took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Roy's lips twitched in a smile.

"You're right, it is too early."

Winry did not miss the disappointment, however slight, in his tone. She felt a rush of sympathy for this man. Edward was in his jurisdiction, he must be feeling guilty, even responsible for his disappearance. And now he knew that Edward had left two unborn children behind as well. Without thinking about it, without really knowing what she was doing, Winry wrapped her arms around Roy, around this man she barely knew, but knew they shared a connection. It did not occur to her to remember that he had shot both her parents. It did not matter, he understood. Roy jumped slightly, but relaxed onto her shoulder. And again, without thinking it, acting solely on the feeling that she should, Winry requested softly,

"Be the godfather."

Head still on her shoulder, Roy looked up at Winry, his red, dull, tired eye searching for confirmation that she had said what he thought she said.

"Please." she added, in answer to his search.

Roy's eye dropped shut.

"An honor..." he muttered. He made to get up, probably to do more exhausting work. Winry kept him firmly in her arms.

"You're exhausted. I know a row of all nighters when I see it. Kick off your boots and lay down properly. Whatever work you have to do can wait until you've had a long rest."

"I couldn't..."

"You will." said Winry, "You said 'yes', you're a godfather now which means you're family. Lay down properly now. There you go." she said as Roy resignedly pushed off his boots.

"I knew you were too tired to argue. Here, you can lay in my lap." Roy did, without argument this time. "Go to sleep, godfather." said Winry quietly and warmly. It wasn't ten seconds before Roy was breathing deep and slow.

-----------------------------------------------------

_19 weeks_

Roy Mustang became a regular sight in Resembul over the next few weeks. A dark circle under his good eye seemed to have become part of his daily attire. Despite her numerous comments, Winry could not convince him to take many more naps.

"—I mean you've got to have loads of vacation time saved up by now. Take a week or three and rest up. You're working way too hard and you even come out here at least every other day. That's easily an eight hour train ride total each day. Come on, you could spend it out here. The country is good for city people. There are open spaces to stretch and relax."

But Roy simply smiled and said,

"No, I don't think so. Besides, you're not one to lecture about working too hard."

"What do you mean?" said Winry, driving a bolt into a steel knee.

"You're pregnant with two and still keeping up with the majority of the shop's work load."

"What's your point?"

"Your ankles look like balloons." Roy joked.

"Shut up." replied Winry, chucking a heavy bolt at the Colonel. Wait...

"Roy, you're short some pins and stripes. Did you get demoted?" Roy glanced quickly down at his uniform.

"Oh...no, not exactly...I gave up my rank. It's Corporal Mustang now."

"What?! I thought it was your goal to become Fuhrer! And—hey!" Winry suddenly noticed the silver chain that normally hung from Roy's breast pocket was missing.

"You gave up being a State Alchemist too? What in the world would make you—this hasn't got anything to do with the Homunculi, has it? You shouldn't give up your dreams just because—" Winry let out a sharp gasp and stumbled back into a chair.

"Winry?" said Roy anxiously, diving beside her chair. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I don't think." she answered, panting slightly. "Here." She took Roy's hand and placed it on her slightly bulging stomach. She gave another small gasp.

"Feel it?" she asked. Roy's face broke from worry into a wide smile.

"Yeah, they're moving!"

"They are, aren't they?" said Winry, chuckling.

"It's so cool!" Roy laughed, and immediately realized how childish it sounded. He stopped laughing, looking slightly abashed. Winry however spoke into her stomach,

"Say hi to godfather Roy!" And waved at her abdomen.

"Have you thought of names?" Roy asked as the twins gave another squirm.

"I think I spend half my time thinking about names these days." said Winry happily. "I've thought about Edward and Alphonse for boys of course, naming them after their father and uncle. For a girl...well..." Winry looked unsure of herself and her voice dropped in volume when she continued. "...Trisha...for a girl, to honor their mother. But I don't think Ed would want to be reminded of his mistake every time he looked at her. Which is stupid because he won't see her anyway..." Her blue eyes wavered dangerously. "Roy, isn't there anything...?"

Roy lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Winry...we've tried. Everyone in the military has. We don't know what happened...we don't have a place to start. He could be wandering a neighboring country without memory, or been taken captive, or...well...exchanged his life for his brother." The last theory came out slowly and with difficulty. The warm spring day seemed to melt back into winter around them.

At long last, Winry forced out a half-smile.

"It's something he would do, isn't it?" Roy nodded in agreement. "But I don't think he's dead." said Winry with a light wave of her hand. She looked down at her ever growing stomach and said in a childish voice, "We'd know, wouldn't we?" She shook her hair back and stood up again. "Well, this automail won't finish itself, will it?" she said, all thought of Roy's demotion washed from her mind.

------------------------------------------

_32 weeks_

"I've got a surprise!" Roy called into the rooms of the Automail shop. He was grinning broadly from ear to ear, a rare occurrence these days.

"What is it?" Winry asked from her place in the living room.

"Come here!" said Mustang enthusiastically.

"You're joking!" Winry barked, "One kid is bad enough, I'm twice the size! I'm going to sit here until my water breaks so you come _here_."

"Oh right, sorry." Roy hurried in and sat on the couch beside her. "Look." he said, waving a small piece of paper in front of her face.

"What is it? Hold still." She grabbed Roy's wrist to keep it still. Roy's smile grew even more as Winry gaped at the paper. She snatched it away.

"You've got to be joking..." said Winry quietly

"It's no joke." said Roy happily. "I've been trying to get this motion through for awhile now, and it finally passed."

"What is it?" asked Winry, her gaze still fixed on the paper.

"This," said Roy, "is Edward's paycheck for the last eight months. You'll receive a check every month from now on. And," Roy pulled another paper out of his pocket, "a letter from the military apologizing for its lateness."

"Th-that's a lot of zeros..." said Winry stammered, her mouth dry. She turned her eyes to Roy. "Why do we get—"

"When a person dies or goes MIA in the service of the military, their families continue to receive their pay. Glacia and Elicia still get financial compensation because of Hughes' service. It just took a little longer for you because you and Fullmetal were neither married nor can he acknowledge the existence of his children. But, that's all worked out now."

"I don't know what to...thank you." She breathed, hugging Roy lightly. "Not just this, but you've been here, you've made it easier and—" Winry let go of Roy and clutched her stomach, giving a sharp gasp.

"What's wrong?" said Roy quickly. Winry dug her nails into the couch cushion as a second sensation of a way too tight rubber band being strangled around her middle shot through her body.

"You're sweating, what's the matter?" Roy asked again, more urgently this time. Winry grabbed his jacket, panting as the rubber band was released.

"Oh." Realization dawned on Roy. "But it's only thirty weeks!"

"Tell them that!" Winry strained, pointing at her abdomen.

"Right, where's Pinako?"

"Out!"

"Um, alright." Roy was starting to panic now. "Where's the doctor? I'll go get him!" Winry pulled on his jacket.

"You are _not_ leaving me here alo—ayagh!" Roy flinched as Winry's grip on his arm tightened.

"Sorry." she panted. "Would you call the damn—I mean doctor?" Roy dialed the number hurriedly on the phone. After a few seconds however, he slammed the phone back down.

"All I got was an answering machine! Where does he think he's supposed to be?!" Roy shouted exasperatedly, tugging violently at his hair.

"I don't know, but they're not waiting!"

"You have to, it's still too early, isn't it?"

"Oh right, I'll just go back in time and stop my water from breaking!" Winry yelled furiously. Roy halted his assault on his hair.

"What? A-already?" Winry nodded. Her face had turned red and a vein pulsed dangerously in her temple.

"Roy, boil water!"

"Wha—me?!"

"Do you see anyone else here you dolt?" Winry snapped. "Hurry up!"

If there was ever a time Roy Mustang had been more terrified, he could not remember it. He went limp. He suddenly had the thought that what they should really include in military training was how to deal with pregnant women. He knew nothing about babies, and besides, the idea of labor was just, for lack of a better word..._gross_. Fullmetal had helped once though, hadn't he? He should be the one here right now, he should be the one taking care of Winry, of his children. A barrier broke in Roy's brain; he would make sure that those kids had someone looking out for them.

-------------------------------------------------

Much work later, Winry and Roy sat on the floor, each with an infant. Despite being slightly premature, each was breathing normally and seemed perfectly healthy.

"I'm going to burn that couch." said Winry, nodding over at the wet navy mass. "It's completely sick. Like an explosion took place." A revolting shiver ran down her spine as she imagined what it would be like if she kept it. Hey kids, that's where all the amniotic fluid spilled...No, it needed to be burned. Roy gave a light chuckle.

"So, who do I have here?" he asked, tickling the infant's chin, "Edward, Alphonse..."

"Neither." said Winry, "You've got Ryan and I've got Anna. Those were the names I picked out for my kids when I was younger. Naming one of them after a missing father or a dead grandmother just seems so sad. And Al's still alive and kicking, so there's really no point to that."

"By the way," Roy's tone became serious, "about Al. You've got to tell him now." Winry shifted uncomfortably.

"I will."

"Winry, you've held off for eight months."

"It's just not that easy to get a hold of him! He's traveling so much, he never tells me where he's going. We can't even write letters because of that."

"I've told you time and again," Mustang's voice took on a lecturing quality, "that the military could and would reach him. You know if he got wind that he had a nephew and niece he'd be back here in a heartbeat."

"I don't want to distract him from his search."

"For Fullmetal? This would only make him more determined to bring him back home." Roy argued.

"Yeah well, it's something I want to tell him in person." said Winry, putting a finishing tone in her words. And... she knew it was stupid, but she wanted to tell Edward first.

"Fine." said Roy indignantly.

"And you're not allowed to tell him either." Winry added for good measure.

"Alright, I won't." His displeasure vanished from his face. "So, Ryan is it? He looks just like his father."

"They do, don't they?" said Winry fondly. "They've got his eyes. I think he'd be happy."

"Wherever he is, I'm sure he's doing all he can to get back." said Roy reassuringly. "I know it's not much, but I'll do what I can." Winry gave him a wavering smile. She did not need to say anything for him to know what it meant to her.

Five months later however, Corporal Mustang accepted an assignment in the northernmost woods of Amestris. Save for the scarce letter, Winry never heard from him again.

* * *

So yeah, it's a pretty long chapter. This chapter alone was six pages on Word. But I hope it was at least mildly entertaining. 


	7. Heart

Thank you reviewers! I gotta say, I'm having a load of fun writing this. I first came up with the ending when I was driving back from Japanese camp in August with my dad. It's a three day trip, so the idea had lots of time to manifest and grow. I suppose daydreaming while driving on the highway wasn't such a good idea...but I didn't crash. We took the back roads 'cause the interstate is so crowded. Plus I'd never driven a stick before. Oh, by the way, if you don't drive a stick, it is so much fun shifting from first to second gear at a green light. That is, if you don't stall the car. Yep, I annoyed alot of people. But the thing was a 1986 Saab and the only things that still worked were the engine and the gear lines, so it wasn't all my fault, it was old and creaky. Windows were rolled down all the way, it was really loud. So I just sang my stupid Japanese camp songs to myself all the way home. Rant over. Sorry 'bout that._

* * *

_

_It was the very beginning of fall. The leaves were just starting to show tints of read and gold. Today was cool and the air was crisp, but comfortable. He clutched the small box in his sweating palm. His ears were deaf to the words being said. His heart was thumping so loudly, he could not hear them anyway. The small assembly of people, most clad in military dress uniforms, did not register at the moment. In fact, there was only one person who did register._

_Winry stood across from him wearing a nervous smile. Her long gold hair was pushed back under a fluffy white veil. She shivered slightly as a cool wind brushed over her bare shoulders and she gripped her long, full white dress anxiously. He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Then, the dull thud of the words ended. He was not sure what had been said, but he knew what it meant. He smiled, excited and relieved at the same time. He pulled her closer..._

"Ni-san, I'm back." Edward jumped out of his daydream. He gave the ring one last glance before placing it back in his pocket.

"Good dream?" Al smirked, shaking the evening's rainstorm out of his hair.

"Got dinner?" deflected Ed.

"Right here." Al handed him a bag. Edward gazed at its contents for a moment before setting it down.

"Nevermind. I'm not hungry."

"Something wrong?"

"Nah. Just feeling a little homesick." Ed set the bag on the dresser—he'd have for breakfast the next morning.

"Al?"

"Hm?"

"Do we really have enough to pay for this room?"

"Y-yeah." Al answered shakily. Edward gave him a suspicious look.

"We do, we do. I'm just playing with you."

"What about the food?"

"Well...no." Ed gave Al a burning gaze.

"I didn't steal it!" Al defended. "The shop owner was a romantic, so when I told him I'd used all my money to buy a wedding ring so my brother could get married; he let me have it for free. Just like I told the hotel manager."

"You idiot!" Edward chucked his shoe at Al's head, and it hit its mark. "You can't go around using that to get free stuff!"

"Why not!? And don't throw your big boots around!" Al lectured, rubbing his now bruised forehead.

"Because I'm not getting married you dolt!" Ed answered, grabbing his other shoe.

"You don't know that Ni-san." said Al sneakily, and immediately dropped to the floor to avoid the other boot.

"I do too know it." Ed said, sitting sullenly back against the headboard.

"I have a feeling you're wrong."

"Oh, that feeling? You'll get over it." Ed grumbled.

"Don't you want to get married?" asked Al, crawling up on the bed next to Ed. A sly grin grew on Al's face as he watched his brother struggle for words.

"I—" A knock at the door broke Ed's battle for words. "—need to get that." Edward finished smoothly, relieved. He undid the locks on the door and pushed it open. In the hall, soaked from the storm, was Alexander. Ed halted, then stepped aside to let him in. Alexander didn't move.

"Alexander?" asked Al, walking to the door, "What are you doing here? Where's your mom?" Alexander said nothing. His gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Ed. Edward took a small step away from the door, unnerved by Alexander's unblinking stare. He regained himself quickly however.

"What do you want, _Wrath_?" He sounded the name dangerously.

"Ni-san." muttered Al reprovingly.

"Did your mother send you here?" Ed demanded. Slowly, Alexander shook his head.

"I came by myself." His voice was quiet and eerie; it sent chills down Edward's spine.

"Do you need something?" asked Al kindly. Alexander ignored him. His large violet eyes stared deep into Ed's gold ones.

"You made a mistake." he said darkly. "And that's why you're here. You tried to be_ God_."

All he could do was stand there. His heart stopped. Alexander's tone was final, the judgment passed. But...there was just no way this boy could know, it was a trick...

"Alexander," said Al, his voice wavering, "how could you know about that?" Still Alexander paid Al no mind. Alexander threw himself forward and grabbed Edward's right arm.

"You're not going to get that back. You," said Alexander, shifting his eyes to Al at last, "It doesn't matter to you where you are. You're content just to be with him. He's not. He left his heart." Those eyes became fixed on Edward once more, "He's given up." Whatever it was that had been keeping Ed still until now shattered. He wrest his arm out of Alexander's hold and brought it down across the boy's face.

"Ni-san!"

"GET OUT!" Edward bellowed, and went to strike another blow, but Al held him back. Alexander wiped his hand across the blood trickling from his mouth. He stared at it on his palm. He wasn't scared, or surprised. A smile cracked on his lips. No, it wasn't a smile, or a smirk, but it reeked with fascination and his wild aura seemed to increase ten fold. An ice-cold hand grabbed Edward's chest.

"OUT! GO AWAY! OUT!" he screamed, now trying to reach Alexander with his feet. Alexander looked away from the blood on his hand just in time to see Edward's left leg swinging madly toward him. Alexander rolled out the door just in time as Ed's right leg slammed the door shut.

----------------------------------------------------

Once the door was safely closed Al released his hold on his brother. Ed fell into a slump on the floor. Al knelt next to him.

"Ni-san..." but Al seemed at a loss for words, so he finished, "you're shaking."

"Why did...why did he come here? How does he know that stuff Al? This is the other side of the gate, how...?" he trailed off. Al snatched a sandwich off the bed.

"Here, eat something." he said, pushing the sandwich under Edward's nose. Ed turned it away. Al put his hand to Ed's forehead then stood up, dragging his brother's body with him.

"You're burning up Ni-san." said Al, sitting Ed on a bed. "You need to get some sleep."

"Al,"

"What?"

"We're leaving early tomorrow. I want to get as far away from those two as we can."

"Alright, just go to sleep." Al turned off the lamp and climbed into the other bed.

An overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over Edward in the calm dark. He was now aware of his burning and aching head and wanted nothing more than sleep. He unconsciously fell back into his daydream. As he did his hand closed around the small ring in his pocket, the heart he left in Amestris.

* * *

Holy Hatsuharu! From Fruits Basket you know, because Hatsuharu turns into a cow. Instead of "Holy Cow!" it's "Holy Hatsuharu!", ne? Thank you for your patronage!


	8. Transmutation

Sorry for taking a few days...; Well, here's the next section, it's short, but the next chapter should be up soon.

* * *

A hooded silhouette moved swiftly under the windowpanes of East headquarters, escaping the attention of everyone save one Lieutenant. Riza Hawkeye let a smirk slip on her lips. She laid her papers down on the desk, and glanced at clock. 9: 47. Calmly she stood, tucked a few loose hairs back in place, and ran into the next room screaming.

"General Armstrong! There are reports of wildfires in Beth!" Armstrong stood up, knocking over his chair as he did.

"Fuery! Falman! Alert the fourth and 7th brigades and report back here with as many men as you can find."

"Sir!" Fuery and Falman saluted before running out.

"Hawkeye!"

"Sir!" Hawkeye clapped her heels together at attention.

"Keep listening for news."

"Yes sir."

--------------------------------------------------

Roy Mustang grinned under his cloak as East headquarters emptied into trucks. He stole a glance at the window where he knew Riza was watching. He silently praised her for her help. Then, tucking his bag of ingredients further under his cloak, he walked into the dark forest. About half a mile in there was a large clearing. Not as large as he would like, but it would have to do. He could not burn down trees to create more space without running the risk of a real wildfire.

Roy traced a transmutation circle around the edge of the clearing. Then, after making sure it was perfect, burnt it into the dirt with a snap of his fingers. He dumped the ingredients into the middle of the circle and sat down at the edge of the clearing. He waited at least ten minutes for the last of the soldiers to leave. The last thing he wanted was officers investigating this site.

At the ten-minute mark, Roy leaned forward onto his knees, placing his hands on the edge of the circle whispering,

"Please work..." Roy poured his energy into the transmutation. Replica circles sprung up around him, boxing him in. Roy blinked against the shining blue light. Then, slowly and image came to his mind's eye: a huge gate. It was clear as day, yet he knew he was not in front of it; he could still feel the dirt beneath his hands.

A strange tongue spoke to him, but Roy understood it somehow. It was asking what he wanted. _Please let this through_, he thought vigorously, _let him see it_. The voice balked at the request. The voice thought it absurd. But that did not matter all that much to it. It was more interested... price. It wanted to know what he was willing to pay.

"I don't care!" Roy shouted aloud. "Take my limbs, my blood!" The voice growled in disgust. Or was it excitement? He did not know. He was curious, however, why was he was tired all of a sudden...

-------------------------------------------------

"...ang...nel Mustang, Colonel..."

"Riza..." Roy groaned as Hawkeye's face shifted into focus. He tried sitting up, but his vision turned to static, so he lay back down.

"What happened? You are white as paper and cold as death."

"I just need water."

"You need an IV. Your pulse is almost nonexistent."

"I'm fine." Mustang insisted, "just help me back to the office so I can get water." Riza nodded reluctantly and hoisted most of the Colonel onto her shoulder.

"Riza..."

"You shouldn't talk right now."

"... It worked." Roy told her, smiling weakly.

* * *

There is so much eye candy running through my head...Someone got the Hatsuharu pun! Hahah, I wasn't sure how many people read Fruits Basket. Thanks for the reviews! See you soon. 


	9. Sickness

Right, the price Roy paid was blood. That's why he was so tired and barely had a pulse. I decided not to take any of his limbs, because there only needs to be one automail in our story. And he can't die. ...not yet. So he paid blood.

Anyway, Al and Ed are in France now. Enjoy! I hope.

* * *

"Ni-san! Ni-san!"

"What is it?" Ed grumbled up from his book.

"Look at today's paper!" Al shouted, waving the news in front of Ed's face. Ed snatched it up, slightly annoyed by Al's overwhelming excitement, but that disappeared once he saw the front page. Ed let his jaw drop. His book tumbled out of his hands. In the clouds above Paris was a rune etched in lightening. Edward jumped up, nearly knocking the table over.

"Al…this is…"

"Yeah, it is." Questions raced to his head, but Ed's excitement stifled them all.

"It's alchemy! Alchemy!" Ed pulled Al into a one armed hug and for the first time in days he broke into a wide grin. He waved the paper above him like a flag.

"Alchemy! Alchemy!"

"I know!" To anyone in the café or on the street, Edward and Alphonse Elric must have been an odd sight; bouncing around screaming about alchemy, but they did not care.

"C'mon Al," said Ed, slapping twenty francs on the table for the meal, "Go get our stuff from the hotel and I'll go change our tickets."  
"I already did all of that." replied Al, pointing to their luggage in the waiting area. "We are on the 2:30 train to Lyon and from there we get the 8:00 one to Paris."

"Al…you're amazing." Al smiled.

"I know. But if we want to get this train we have to leave now."

"What are we waiting for?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ticket…ticket…"

"Ow!"  
"Are you alright Al?" asked Ed, leaning out of the compartment into the isle.

"Yeah…" replied Al grudgingly. " My bag just doesn't want to stay up the—ow!" The suitcase slipped again and hit Al on the head once more.

"Ticket."

"Sure." Edward looked up into the face of Trisha Elric. He stopped, all thought of what he was doing erased from his mind. She gave him a concerned look and repeated,

"Ticket sir."

"Y-yeah." Ed fumbled in his pocket for the tickets and gave them to her. "Sorry, you just look like someone I knew."

"That can be disconcerting. You're all set." She handed the tickets back with a smile before moving on.

"Finally…" Al moaned, sitting down. "But I bet it'll fall on me again when we get off. Did you see the stewardess?"

"I did." said Ed quietly.

"It will be nice to see people and know they are who we think they are."

"What do you mean?" Al gaped at him.

"Haven't you thought about what the rune means? They're trying to bring us back!"

"We don't know that. It could be a rogue scientist doing experiments."

"You've been away from alchemy too long Ni-san. Look at it closely." Ed brought the paper up not three inches from his face. Edward nearly slapped himself out of stupidity for not noticing it earlier. The rune had been highly modified, but it was there.

"See?" said Al "I'll bet you 500 cenz that we'll be back in Resembul before the end of the week."

"This is out of my notes." said Edward in awe. "Not directly, it's been altered, but it's definitely my work."

"I wonder how the Colonel got a hold of it. The notes you gave headquarters were rubbish. Everything useful you wrote down you did it as you read, right in the book too. And you made up a difficult code; it's amazing the Colonel was able to read it at all."

"How did Mustang get it?" Ed thought aloud. Al shrugged.

"Maybe you left a book or two at headquarters, or it was in one you borrowed out of the library."

"Every book I wrote in I kept, even from the library. And I made it a point to never leave things at headquarters. The only person who has my books is Winry."

"Then he got them from her." replied Al passively. "Do we get food on this trip?" Al stared hungrily out into the aisle.

"Winry wouldn't lend my books out to anyone. Plus they're at her house. Why was Mustang at her house? If he needed them she could just bring them to headquarters."

"Maybe she did." said Al, growing more and more disinterested.

"Why would she if he was at her house?"

"Maybe he wasn't."

"But he was because the books are there." Al raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"You're not making any sense."

"What if they're—"

"You're crazy." said Al instantly, reading Ed's thought process. Ed fell silent. He gave up trying to make sense of it because it made his already pounding head hurt. It was still heavy from the night before. Al held out his hand.

"The food cart's coming, give me money." Ed slapped a few francs in Al's hand.

"Want anything?" Ed shook his head.

"Thanks!" said Al and pulled his food inside the compartment. Ed stared incredulously at him.

"Are you going to eat all that?"

"Of course!" Al replied, biting into a sandwich. "I used to take eating for granted, but since I got my memories back I've enjoyed it a lot more. I hated that about being a suit of armor. I could remember how things taste, but not really. I mean, I got used to it after a while, but still." Al took another big bite. "I can't wait to get back to Resembul. Winry promised to make me a pie when I got my body back. But, I didn't see her at all during those two years. If I was in Resembul, it was only for one night. I was traveling so much that we never had letter correspondence…I feel like I haven't seen her seen her since we fought the Homunculus. I can't wait to catch up."

"The first thing I'm going to do," Edward grinned maliciously, "Is punch Mustang."

"Ni-san…he's the one bringing us back." Al sighed. Edward shrugged.

"Cards?" Ed offered, pulling out a deck.

"Now that I know you can't cheat with alchemy." Al smiled.

"I never cheated!" Edward denied.

"You liar! You always cheated because you knew I'd believe you. My own brother, taking advantage of me…tsk tsk."

"You were gullible, weren't you?" said Ed fondly.

"Ha! I knew it!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the third time the food trolley came around and Ed still had not taken anything, Al started to worry.

"You've hardly eaten anything in two days."

"I haven't had much of an appetite." Ed shrugged. It was true; he simply had not been hungry.

"Do you still have a fever?" asked Al in a very mother hen-ish manner.

"No." This time he lied. Al was already acting overprotective enough. Al however, did not miss a beat.

"I know when you're lying Ni-san, you're not very good at it. You won't be able to punch Mustang if you're too sick to stand up."

"It's just a fever." Ed said carelessly, trying to wave it off.

"How's your stomach?" asked Al, ignoring Edward's attempt to falter his worry.

"It's fine." said Edward as his stomach gave an uncomfortable turn.

"Right." said Al disbelievingly. "Say 'ah'" Ed simply stared at him.

"You don't really expect me to."

"Well, no."

"Al, it's just a cold, rea—" Ed was sent flying forward onto his brother as the train slammed into deceleration. Edward's head spiked with heat and his ears screamed in protest at the steel wheels screeching to a halt. His stomach convulsed violently, but as he had not eaten anything in days, only coughed stomach fluid on the rich red carpet.

"Ni-san!" The train jerked sharply again to its final resting place. Shouts ran along the corridor, but Edward's head was too foggy to make sense of any of them. Through the corner of his eye he saw shadows move swiftly along the hallway. From far away he heard Al open the compartment door.

"Someone please come help my brother! He's sick, please!" Ed felt very glad to have Al as his brother, to have him here. A silhouette of a tall and broad man stopped at their door.

"Sir, please help my brother." Al begged.

"How long as he been sick?" The deep voice sounded so familiar.

"I don't know." Al's voice began to quaver. "He doesn't tell me anything like that."

"What's his name?"

"Edward." Al answered, "Sir, can you help him?" Edward felt his body being lifted off the floor by massive arms. The scent of firewood and pipe soothed his head. He squinted through the light that was burning his eyes, trying to bring the man's face into focus. Blonde hair came into view and wise, kind gold eyes gazed warmly at him. Edward closed his eyes back into the fog. Everything was drifting further away. It was alright though, he could let himself sleep.

"You're going to be alright, Edward."

* * *

Who could it be? Eh, think about it. Ooh, I wonder what's going to happen next...No, really, I wonder. I've got the next chapter written and done, but how to go about it next? Feel free to chip in. Maybe I'll just do a hot and sweaty Riza/Roy scene that's completely off topic and has nothing to do with the story! Haha, sounds fun, but the 'nothing to do with the story' part has me bothered. 'Til next time...


	10. Haults

Hi, sorry it took a little while. Season's activities you know. And I hope you all had a good one. I've gotta say, I don't think my mother knows how to shop for me. She asks "what do you want?" I say "Anime" and that translates into soap, pajamas and electric razor. I love her, and it's not at all that I don't appreciate bath things because I do. They smell pretty. And the pajama bottoms are very comfortable and have Grumpy on them (I think there's a message in giving me Grumpy though). Her thought process is just amusing to me. On another note, have you ever thought that giving someone soap for Christmas or their birthday is kind of rude? I mean, it's kinda like saying 'you smell bad'. Anyway, here's the next chapter. (Oh, and I think the razor is a message too. It's the second one I've gotten for Christmas. I love my Kasan, I really do. She's so funny, even if she doesn't know it.)

* * *

Edward's nose brush against soft fabric. He stirred slightly. He did not wish to leave his sleeping state, but the aroma of firewood and pipe tugged gently at his consciousness.

"Good morning son." It was the deep voice from before.

"How long have I been asleep?" Edward asked groggily, still reluctant to open his eyes.

"That is a good question. I don't know. You have not allowed me to check my clock." Not allowed? Ed opened his eyes and his senses returned to him. He was sandwiched in between the man's broad chest and massive hands.

"I would have set you down, but you didn't seem to want to let go." Ed found his right fist clenched around the man's tie. He let go quickly.

"Sorry." he mumbled, and slid onto his own seat. He felt the rumbling of the train beneath him—they had started again.

"I had my colleagues get you medicine before the train got underway again. I would have got you to a proper hospital, but your brother insisted against it. Apparently you boys have somewhere very important to be."

"Yeah, yeah we do." said Edward vaguely. Understandably, it is very disconcerting to wake up in a strange gentleman's arms. Edward felt embarrassed heat creep into his face.

"Look," he said, gazing down, unwilling to look the man in the eye, "I'm sorry about—well, you could have smacked me or something."

"It's quite alright." The man said with a wave. "I have a soft spot for sons who miss their father. His name was Hohenheim, was it?" Edward's head jerked up at the mention of the name, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He had gotten used to seeing familiar faces in this world, but had never expected to see that face again. It was Hohenheim's, down to the last line.

"Y-yeah." He struggled to regain his composure. "Do-did you know him?" He did not know why he had not expected there to be a double of Hohenheim's in this world. His father had to have taken the body of someone, and that person would have a double same as everyone else.

"No, I did not. You talked in your sleep. I do not believe eavesdropping is a hobby befitting a man, but it is quite impossible not to overhear when the speaker is attached to your tie. I do apologize."

"I don't mind." Ed mumbled uncomfortably, heat flaring onto his cheeks again.

"Though I must tell you, you look an awful lot like my late son. Exactly like him in fact, although your hair is much longer." A glazed look came over the man's eyes. "But you can't be him, because I know for fact that he is dead." Edward remembered with a pang the boy with whom he had briefly shared a body. They had been hit by a crashing zeppelin that forced Ed out of the body and back through the gate. For that boy however, there had been no hope.

"You too." said Ed, surprising even himself. The man gave him a puzzled look. "I mean, you look a lot like my father too." He explained. The words just came out of his mouth, but his brain could not figure out why he was telling this to a complete stranger.

"Did your father die in the war as well?"

"No, he died after." The words spilled uncontrollably. "He was trying to send me home and was killed in the attempt."

"Did you get home?"

"For a bit." Edward smiled painfully. The man held out his hand.

"Gregory Haults." he said, grinning kindly. Edward took it.

"Edward Elric." The compartment door slid open.

"Ni-san, I've got sandwiches and water and you're going to eat something." said Al sternly, thrusting a plate into Ed's hands.

"And my overprotective brother, Alphonse Elric." Edward prodded his brother playfully. Al ignored his comment.

"Cards?" he proposed, laying out a deck.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Haults, why did the train stop?" Ed voiced the question he had been longing to ask, but had been too shy to ask it. It surprised him, for shyness was not a feeling he had felt for...well, ever since he first met Roy Mustang as a Lieutenant Colonel. Gregory Haults had a similar effect, but for different reasons.

"Oh, that. There's a criminal who escaped from prison a few days ago. We thought he might be on this train, but we were mistaken. And you may drop the 'Mr.' and just call me Haults, most people do."

"You're an officer then?" said Al, shuffling the cards.

"Not precisely, I'm in Britain's investigation department."

"Investigation? We knew a guy in investigations once." said Al conversationally, now dealing out the cards once more.

"Who is he? Maybe I've met him."

"I doubt it." said Ed, smirking slightly, "He was always too busy fawning over his daughter to get any real work done. He used military lines to call up his friends and blab to them about her." Haults gave a clear booming laugh that filled the cabin.

"I used to do that. When my son was born, I couldn't stop talking about him. He was a handsome child, and smart too. I told everyone I could about him, even strangers on the street."

"So you're from Britain," Edward felt the need to change subjects. "This criminal must be high profile to carry you all the way to France." Haults' tone became much more serious.

"If you consider forty-seven murders high profile."

"You think his next stop is Lyon?" said Al, matching his tone.

"No, Paris. But we think he's going through Lyon. If he continues to follow his pattern, we have a good guess as to who his next victim is." But Edward had stopped listening. Al was bent into the corner, his head looking down into his jacket.

"Al..." said Edward curiously. Al gave him a quick glance and closed his jacket hurriedly.

"Sorry Ni-san." said Al, panting slightly. "There's a string sticking out of my belt." _Mew._

"What was that?" demanded Edward sharply.

"What was what?" Al asked innocently. _Mew._

"Al, open your jacket."

"Why?"

"Just open it."

"No.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to." said Al firmly. Ed felt his brow twitch.

"You're hiding a cat."

"Please, I think I'm past that." Al scoffed unconvincingly.

"Then why won't you open your jacket?" Al gave him a long stare, then shot out of his seat and grappled at the compartment's lock.

"Put it back Al!" Ed swiped at Al's hood, but missed.

"No! You can't make me put this one back!" Ed swung at Al's jacket again and caught it. Al made a choking sound and stumbled backwards.

"We're in no position to take care of a cat!"

"I can take care of it!" Al argued. "And besides, it's just a kitten. Isn't that right Fooz?"

"You named it!?" Ed shouted exasperatedly. "Put it back!"

"No Ni-san! You're just sore because Kasan said you couldn't have that one cat."

"Fine! You think you can take care of it? Go ahead!" Al giggled happily.

"I'm going to find you some nice food Fooz." Al cooed at the orange tabby in his arms.

The cat mewed contentedly and began to purr. Edward gave it a small grin, the shot Al a curious look.

"...You really named the cat Fooz?" Haults gave another boisterous laugh and ruffled Al's hair strongly.

"You are certainly one of a kind Alphonse Elric! Ah, we're slowing down again." Al stood up and started tugging at his bag, but it was stuck under another large trunk.

"Ni-san, hold Fooz while I get our stuff down." Al did not wait for Ed to answer before stuffing the small kitten into his hands. He went back to maneuvering the luggage. It slipped loose suddenly and came crashing down on his head. Al was thrown into the opposite seat.

"I knew it would hit me again when I tried to get it down!" he said, irritated.

"There's only one bag for the two of you?" Haults asked.

"With all the traveling we do, we can't afford to pick up useless things. It's just clothes and soap basically. A few books." explained Ed. The bag gave another lurch as the train came to a complete stop and Al gave another annoyed grunt. Ed grabbed hold of it and his brother. Al stood up and brushing himself off, pulled the compartment door open.

Three men stood in the aisle, pistols raised.

"Are you Alphonse and Edward Elric?" one asked. Al, completely nonplussed answered,

"Yeah. Thanks for having Mr. Haults accompany us. You can have him back, we'll be alright now." The guns did not lower. Edward snatched Al's ear.

"Al, I really don't think they're worried about our safety." Ed said harshly. It amazed him at times how naive his brother could be.

"I'm afraid your brother is correct Al." Haults had risen out of his seat. Given that he was about twice Edward's size and at least three times his weight, it was an impressive sight and frightening to be under.

Haults' handgun was also raised and barely an inch from Edward's forehead.

"If you would extend your hands please Edward." He said politely.

"What are we charged with?" Al demanded. One of the men in the hall swiftly smashed his gun handle into the back of Al's neck. Al went limp and collapsed. Edward caught him mid fall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Edward shouted. What had before been curiosity and annoyance had turned viciously into searing rage. "What did he do?"

"Your hands Edward." Haults repeated, more sternly. Edward stared straight into the barrel of the pistol and grabbed it with his right hand and bent it up. A shot fired into the ceiling. Without pause, Edward threw his fist into Haults' chin.

Even without Al's unconscious body clutched in his left arm, Edward's chances were not good against four armed men in a small space. Haults grasped Ed's wrist from under his chin and in a demonstration of monstrous strength, twisted it into cuffs while two others knocked his legs out from under him. With a bone chilling cracking sound his left arm was forced into the cuffs as well. Edward let out a shout of pain but stifled it quickly. He bit his tongue to keep himself from passing out from the pain pulsing through his arm. Edward glared up from the floor at Haults, putting as much hate and spite into his gaze as he possibly could. Haults tugged his head back by his hair.

"Edward Elric, you're under arrest."

* * *

Good Lord that was rude! If I haven't mentioned it already (I know I have) it's so much fun writing this. Oh right, and if you didn't know it already, J.K Rowling has come out with the title of the seventh Harry Potter book. The last installment of the beloved Harry Potter series is called _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_. Oh the mind boggles at what this title could mean. At least we know one thing: The release of the title means the book cannot be too far off. 


	11. Escape

I have what I think is a funny story. I made my friend spaz out. She's the kind of person who goes completely spazzy over shall we say "dirty jokes" and says "No! Wrong! You freak, go away!" You know the type of person. Anyway, I made her completely spaz out and it was very funny.

You see, she was telling me to download Deathnote because it's an awesome anime. I said I would try but I have lots of things to do.

Friend: No! Deathnote comes before everything!  
Me: I'll try. ...Before pie?  
Friend: Yes, before pie.  
Me: What about Bleach?  
Friend: Even before Bleach.  
Me: Does it come before new Naruto episodes?  
Friend: Hm...no, because the new Naruto is going to be just that awesome.  
Me: What about Edward? Does Deathnote come before Edward?  
Friend: No, Edward and Deathnote come at the same time.  
Me (grin): Kinky.  
Friend: ...  
Friend: What? Get out of my house!  
Me: LAUGHING MY ASS OFF AT MY OWN JOKE!

There. That's my funny story. I have not downloaded Deathnote yet either. I'm sure it is a very good anime, I just don't have the time.

* * *

Roy took in a lungful of air before walking up to the yellow Resembul house he had come to know so well. He shouldn't be so nervous...but the idea of hiding something from Winry did not sit well on him. Something this important she needed to know...but not yet. He couldn't bear it if he got her hopes up and then led her to another disappointment. No, he would wait until Edward and Alphonse were safely back in Amestris (Roy tried hard not to think 'if').

Riza had argued him on this. She said that Winry was an adult, that she could handle it and deserved to know, to be there when Roy did the transmutation.

But Winry hadn't run after her, hadn't begged_ her_ to not close the gate...Riza hadn't listened to her despairing scream as the gate collapsed...

Roy reached the door. He was positive he was doing the right thing. But then...why were his hands still shaking?

Winry opened the door before he knocked. Den leapt onto his chest. Roy stumbled back, patting the large dog affectionately on the head.

"Were you going to stand on the porch all night? Come in." said Winry cheerfully. "We're having dessert first tonight—apple pie. And the kids made ice cream." Roy smiled and took off his hat and coat. "Ryan and Anna have scheduled a real picnic on Saturday." Winry continued brightly.

"It sounds great, but I have a lot of work to do on Friday night that might carry into Saturday." said Roy, sitting down. At Anna and Ryan's disheartened faces he added quickly, "But I'll try." The children seemed to take this as a definite 'yes' and dug into their pies once more.

Indeed, Roy had made a secret promise to himself that he would have Fullmetal back in Amestris by the children's next picnic. It seemed like he would make good on that promise too. Everything was set, as long as Riza completed her mission tonight. All he had to do was wait until Friday. Officers would be gone for the weekend and of course, he had to give the Elric brothers time to reach wherever it was that the rune appeared in their world. He was positive they knew about it, Edward and Alphonse Elric attracted the unusual and unique like Havoc attracted mosquitoes. Yes, they would be there, Roy just had to give them time.

This thought sent a comforting feeling through Mustang so that he was finally able to give a slight smile and take a bite of apple pie. Winry lifted a pan of rather burnt meat out of the oven.

"Crap!" she said, staring at it. "I followed the instructions perfectly! This thing must be broken." Winry tapped the oven with her fist. "I'll fix that soon enough."

Winry set the burnt meat down on the counter a little harder than necessary and roughly pulled out her chair and sat down at the table.

"Winry." said Roy as Ryan and Anna exchanged darkly significant looks.

"Yes?" said Winry, her cheerful disposition returned.

"Did the kitchen do something to you?" asked Roy.

"Kasan yelled at a customer today." Anna chirped. Winry shot her a glance. Anna quickly stuffed more pie into her mouth.

"I did not yell at a customer." she said stiffly. At an incredulous, unceasing stare from Roy she added, "I yelled at his wife."

"What in the world would make you—"

"You would think people could find better things to talk about." said Winry, her voice becoming slightly hysterical.

"What'd she—" Roy began, only to be cut off again. Using a high preppy voice as the woman's, Winry reenacted the scene.

"She said 'Where's the ring?" I said 'What ring?' 'You mean you haven't got one from the handsome State Alchemist who comes around so often?' I told her to stuff it, 'cause I was still trying to be polite you know." Winry took a deep breath and returning to the preppy voice continued, " 'Any girl should be glad to _serve_ a man like him, if you catch my drift.' I told her if she wanted to serve you she should go enlist." Roy grinned, amused, which made Winry crack a short smile before going on.

"Well, long story short, she eventually said I couldn't let my kids grow up without a father figure. She was acting real smart about it too. I ended up chucking bolts at her and telling her to stuff them up her—" Winry glanced at Ryan and Anna "—_derriere_."

"It was funny." Ryan giggled.

"I'm sure it was. But since I burnt our dinner you two get to go to bed with just dessert. Now."

"Ok!" said Ryan, jumping off his chair. "Come on Anna!" Anna followed his lead and the two pattered up the stairs.

"Wow." said Roy. "I'm impressed. They go to bed on their own now."

"Oh no. I'm sure they sit up there and play for at least another hour. But as long as they're quiet I really don't mind." Winry started collecting the dishes and placing them haphazardly in the sink.

"I'm sorry." The words tumbled out of Roy's mouth suddenly. It took Roy a moment to even realize he had been thinking the words. Winry turned away from the sink.

"What?"

"I'm sorry the military couldn't do more. I'm sorry they have to grow up with out a father figure." The words just kept coming. Roy did not know where they were coming from, he had not been thinking about this.

"They have one." said Winry, tossing the last fork into the sink. She smirked at Roy's confused expression. "You." She answered. "You really don't have any idea how much they look up to you, do you? Roy, you're the closest thing to a father they'll ever have. They love you. And so do I." Winry ruffled Roy's dark hair playfully. "You're my best friend. I don't know what we would have done without you." Any words Roy might have said got jammed in his throat. Words of gratitude, honor, loyalty were all stuck, each trying to force its way out. So he said what encompassed them all. Had it been any other family, any other time, he would never have said it. But to her...to her he could.

"I love you too. You're my family."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fists pounded on the front door, breaking the atmosphere. Winry placed her hands haughtily on her hips.

"Do they have any idea what time it is? If it's that woman I'm going to sign her up for an operation to get that stick out of her butt. Though it might be wedged in there too tight by now..." She stalked off to the front door as Roy held in his laughter. For a few moments there was nothing but murmurs floating from the door. Then Winry's voice went off like a bomb in the hall.

"What do you want with Roy? Ouch!" There was a sound of metal cracking bone. "You can't come barging in here like that! Do you even have a warrant?"

"Right here." said a deep, unfamiliar voice. Roy shot out of his seat, sending the chair crashing to the floor. Two large men stormed into the room, pushing Winry ahead of them. Winry was holding her left arm gingerly with her right. Roy stepped hurriedly to her.

"What did they do?" he asked, examining her red and puffy arm.

"Grabbed me." answered Winry quietly. Don't worry though." She nodded up at the larger of the two men who, Roy was please to see, was sporting a bleeding black eye that was quickly swelling.

"Colonel Roy Mustang." The uninjured man grabbed his hand and forced it into a cuff. "You are under arrest for crimes against the military."

"Crimes against the—I haven't done anything!" Roy struggled to free his hand from the colossal one holding it.

"And you'll have the chance the prove it." The officer gave him an ugly smirk. A chilling thought leapt suddenly down his spine. If he was being arrested, then what about— As if he had read Roy's mind the officer holding him said,

"You'll be pleased to know that Riza Hawkeye will not be punished for the crimes of her superior." Roy stopped struggling, his mind racing. As long as Riza was not in jail...

"Alright." he said defeatedly, "Alright. I'll come quietly. Just let me say good-bye to my wife." He risked a short glance at Winry and prayed that her face would not betray too much surprise. The two officers looked at each other, and after a second, nodded. Roy was released. In one swift movement, he pulled Winry into him and kissed her. After a moment he broke the kiss, but kept her in a tight embrace. He turned his lips close to her ear and in a barely audible whisper said,

"Tell Riza." Winry smiled warmly. She reached up and kissed him again.

"We'll get through this love." She touched his face affectionately. "I know you'll be home soon." As promised, Roy allowed his other hand to be slipped into cuffs. The two officers turned and led him out the door.

Just as they reached the car however, red and gold flashed in the black night followed by a deafening explosion. The black military car burned brilliantly under the moon and spewed bolts all over the road. Winry rushed to the window. Roy had vanished. The two officers lay unconscious on the dirt. She then ran to the phone and dialed the private military line, praying that Riza was working late. Winry suffered four rings of anticipation before a woman picked up.

"Hello?"

"Riza?!"

"Yes...?" She was obviously confused as to who could be calling so late.

"Thank God you're there. It's Winry. Two military officers just dragged Roy out of my house. But he blew up their car and now he's gone." Winry said this all very rapidly. There was a moment of silence on Riza's end.

"Well, it's not unexpected. We thought this might happen."

"We? What are you working on?" Winry demanded. Another pause. "Nevermind!" Winry shouted finally. "It doesn't matter! Listen, Roy told me to tell you and I did and now we have to do something!" Riza started speaking before she finished her sentence.

"How did he tell you to call me? The officers didn't hear, did they?" she asked anxiously.

"No, of course not, he whispered it. I could hardly hear it."

"Whispered? Then we have very little time, that'll have tipped them off. Get down here as quick—"

"No, no, Riza, it's alright, it didn't look suspicious at all because he did it when he was..." Winry trailed off, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Heat crept into her face.

"When what?" asked Riza.

"K-kissing me..."

"Kissing?" Riza repeated bracingly. Winry had the horrible mental image of Riza standing alone in a dark military hallway in a phone booth, telling herself that it had to be the only way to get the message across safely; but her deep copper eyes still wavered.

"Yeah well, it was the only way without making it look questionable." said Winry quietly.

"That gives me more time then." Riza's stony, business-like tone returned to her voice. "Listen, stay where you are."

"What? You just told me to get down there!"

"No, stay where you are."

"Riza!"

"Just stay where you are!" Without another word, Riza hung up. Winry flopped onto the couch. Her stomach was squirming way too much for her to sleep. Questions raced through her mind. What were Roy and Riza working on? Why had Roy not told her? Why had he been arrested and why had Riza told her to stay put? As if she could just sit still and wait. Why was everyone treating her like a child? She was nineteen and had two kids, she was _not_ a child. No, she was going to go to headquarters and she was going to break Roy Mustang out of jail. He was keeping her in the dark about something and she was going to be there to find out what it was.

Winry stood up, stormed in to Pinako's room, and turned on the light.

"Granny, I'm going to East Headquarters. Take care of Ryan and Anna." Then she turned off the light, grabbed her wallet and jacket and strode out the door.

* * *

Oh dear. Hey, we might be somewhat kind of be nearing the end here. At least on the Resembul end. I'm not sure about Edward's trials. What the hell do I know anyway? I'm only the author. How the hell am I supposed to know what happens? I just sit down at the computer and see what my fingers do. I have no control of it! Well, time for bed. I've got seven hours of manual labor tomorrow. ...Again. I've been working at a barn over break. Wow. Ouch. My bones are cracking much more. I'm so creaky...Oh well. It's twenty-five dollars a day. When you're poor that means something. 


	12. Tsuki

I seriously debated putting this little section up. This chapter is completely self-indulgent. Complete self-indulgent FLUFF. It has no real purpose to the storyline, except a little more background. If you don't like fluff, don't read. I completely understand. I can't believe I was this selfish with my story. I really hope it isn't sick or cheesy. I hope it's more like "Awwwww! The thing and the thing!" sweet-like. I tried extremely hard not to make it fantasy, make it like something that could have actually happened. And it did. In my mind, this is exactly what happens after the movie ends and what did happen that last night in Resembul.

I really tried to keep Ed in the lines of his character, but unlike fighting and morale situations, this particular area barely has any precendence in the series or the manga (as it is right now, juicy things might happen in the manga). But what I did pick up is that Ed turns pretty nervous (and red) when he is hugged, so I tried to expand on that. To fluff lovers, this is for you. From Ronin.

* * *

"Lay down on your stomach." Winry demanded, switching on the lamp on the bedside table.

"Why?" asked Ed groggily, he had almost been asleep.

"I'm going to work on your arm some more and I can't do it when you're sitting up."

"You already fixed my arm." Ed protested, "It's already eleven, what are you still doing in your work clothes anyway? You have grease on your face by the way."

"Fixing your arm. Now take off your shirt and lay down." replied Winry sternly. Deciding he would lose no matter what, Ed did as he was told.

"You already took care of it."

"I'm rechecking my work. If you lose to those Homunculus I don't want you blaming it on faulty automail."

"I've never blamed you." Ed grumbled, waving his feet through the air.

"Yeah well...See? There's loose bolt right here. Now what would have happened if I hadn't checked?"

"Probably nothing."

"Hey Ed..." Her tone had changed. It was dark, morose even. "You won't lose to the Homunculus, will you?" He rolled on to his side to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Her face brightened once more. She pushed his shoulder down and began work again.

"Nevermind! Of course you won't! How could you lose with such brilliant automail? My automail is perfect, it never goes wrong! Besides, Al wouldn't be to get his body back if you died, he's counting on you and you couldn't let your brother down." But there was something amiss in her cheery voice

"Oh damn!" The screwdriver she was holding clanked as it hit the ground.

"What?" Edward sat back up. Winry was holding her hand. It was bleeding fluently.

"The bolt broke. They're so faulty sometimes. I'll just go get another one."

"What happened to your hand? Shouldn't you take care of that first?"

"The driver must have sliced it when the bolt broke. It's fine." She said in that falsely cheery voice and wrapped a dirty, oil-stained cloth around it. Blood quickly saturated the cloth, but Winry did not seem to notice. She swung out of her chair and opened the closet door.

"Let's see... bolt B-47, where are you..." He could hear her clanking through boxes and shelves.

"Winry sit down, I'll get it." said Edward, sliding off the bed and into the closet.

"No that's alright, lay back down." Winry pushed his chest lightly.

"I'm not doing it for you, I'm tired and I want you to stop making all this noise! Now let me find it." he said.

"No no... Ah! There you are!" She stood on tiptoes and stretched up to a high shelf.

"Winry, would you let me get it?" said Ed, slightly irritated now. He reached around her to the box.

"No, you're too short, you'll never reach."

"What did you say?! Winry, just let me—" Edward moved his foot to gain a better position, but stepped into a rolling tin can. He grappled at Winry to steady his balance, but only to the effect that the pair of them came falling out of the closet with a deafening crash. The box of B-47 bolts, along with several other heavy metal objects fell victim to gravity as well and shot over the room. A wrench shattered the lamp, casting the room to the mercy of moonlight.

"Ow..." Winry groaned.

"You alright?"

"No. Your left knee is in my liver."

"Sorry." He shifted his knee.

"And you pulled my hair." continued Winry. "I hope you didn't lose my hairband, it was my favorite one."

"Sorry." he repeated. Ed ran his fingers through his long hair to get it out of his eyes.

"Anything else the ma...tter..." Maybe it was a side effect of crashing to the floor, but he could have sworn Winry's hair was gold. He could see the starlight reflected in her soft, pale blue eyes. She was...She hadn't been like this before. When had she changed? Unconsciously he reached to touch her shoulder—Edward felt blood rush to his face.

"Winry—"

"Ed, are you alright?" Winry stared curiously at him. Ed covered his eyes with both hands.

"You shouldn't wear those strapless things. They slide." Ed pointed out. Winry gave a stifled squeal and flung her arms over her chest.

"Get off me!" she barked accusingly.

"It's not my fault!"

"How is it not your fault? You're the one who can't keep his balance! I try to help and fix your arm and you repay me like this? Get off pervert!" Heat flamed in his face again but not out of embarrassment this time.

"Like I'd want to see that! You couldn't be pretty if you tried grease monkey! You even have oil on your fa—" There wasn't a second's warning. A nail in the closet made a final creak of resistance and snapped. The shelf gave an eerie screech as it shot down the wall. Dozens of boxes that had survived the first crash streamed through the air. A particularly large box caught Edward in the small of the back and shoved him forward. There was a nasty sound of bone smashing together.

"Ah! I always knew you had a hard head Edward! You didn't have to prove it!"

"It's not my-my fault..." said Ed distractedly. His heart was pounding so hard and loudly in his chest it was a miracle it didn't wake everyone in the house. Every muscle in his body was unsteady. He felt superheated, he didn't know a body's temperature could change so quickly. His left palm was sweating, stuck to the wood floor. He was sure beads of sweat were going to start running down his face any time now and...

And it had nothing to do with the shock of being hit from behind. He was so close to Winry he could feel her breath on his neck and her cool body under his own shaking one. Close enough to feel her heart beating almost as heavily as his. He brushed a few hairs out of her face with his right hand. She shuddered slightly at the touch of what he was sure was very cold metal. Her sapphire eyes searched his own with curiosity, kindness, but mostly worry.

"Edward?" she asked softly. His stomach leapt into his chest, anxiety flooded his body. His heart roared at him to do something. Hesitantly, tentatively, he nipped her lips just barely with his own. She jerked back, her eyes wide and fearful, but inside his chest purred. He leaned in again and risked a little more pressure. Winry did not jump away. Instead she touched his face gently and wrapped her arms around him. It sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine. Once more he leaned into her lips. This time she returned him fervently, but then turned away.

"I'm scared. I don't think I've ever been more scared." she whispered, breathing slightly heavily.

"I know." Edward replied quietly, taking in deep gulps of air. He rested his forehead on hers. "I know." He was more scared now than he had ever been in any fight he had ever been in. Anxiety swam through his body and he thought his heart was going to hammer out of his chest, and yet it was purring happily.

"We should stop..."

"No!" The word flew out of his mouth to quickly for him to even think about restraining it. Winry looked taken aback. "No..." he repeated more softly.

"Alright." She gave him another small smile and unstuck his sweating left hand from the floor. She set it down on her chest where her heart pulsed hard against his hand.

"It's yours."

-------------------------------------------------------

Edward stared up at the bright full moon that flooded a calm blue light into the old room. He let out a deep sigh. Winry pulled the blankets up a little higher on his torso.

"It's pretty." she said contentedly and fixed her grip on Ed's waist so that it was more firm. Edward smiled, something he had not done in a very long time. He ran his fingers continually through Winry's long hair.

Winry leaned over him and pick something up off the floor. Her long hair hid it from view. She examined it in the moonlight and then picked something else off the floor. Then she bent over Edward's right shoulder. He heard the familiar sound of a bolt being tightened. He drew his arm away.

"Winry, don't."

"It's got to work properly."

"It can wait until morning. Come on." He guided her head back down on to his chest. "You really are a grease monkey."

"Who are you to talk? Alchemy freak." She let out a long shaky breath and closed her eyes. "I don't want to let you go. I think I'd be content if you never left my arms, if I never had to let you go." Edward wasn't sure what to say, or even what he wanted to say, so he kept quiet.

"I don't want you to leave me alone again." Her voice broke. Water hit his chest. At first he thought he had imagined it until Winry's body convulsed beside him. More drops fell until a small stream was running down his front.

"Don't die..." she pleaded in a raspy whisper. "Get Al's body and come back, please. Don't leave me alone." A lump had risen in his throat. He didn't think he had ever felt more guilty. He desperately wished he could take back all the times he had left Winry out, or hidden something from her. Winry took in deep breaths, but every once in a while, her body quavered dangerously. He took her face in his right palm and kissed her. After a long moment he broke it.

"I'm not going to leave you alone Winry." he said in a low voice. "I don't—I wouldn't take your heart lightly."

"I love you..." His heart screamed at him to reply. To tell her how much she had always meant, how grateful he was that she had always been there. That the only reason he kept her out of things was in hopes that she wouldn't worry, not because he was being cold. Tell her that he accepted her love with all his being, and returned it twice that much. Tell her what this night was to him, that he never wanted to let go of her and that she was the only person who made him feel whole, at home, complete. But none of that came out. He simply laid there and kept stupidly silent. Winry didn't seem phased, as though she had been expecting this.

"It's fine, you don't have to say anything." It was like a cold knife had been shoved through his heart. Why couldn't she be a normal girl and yell at him? It was just wrong to say 'that's alright' and settle back down. She should be chewing his guts out right now.

"I just want to hold you until I fall asleep." The knife twisted. She didn't have to say it, it was right there in her tone. She knew he wouldn't be there when she woke up. She was right. He had been planning to leave early, before anyone was awake.

However, they could afford a few hours. After everything, she at least deserved to wake up with him. At the very least. If he couldn't say it, he would do his best to show that he never wanted to let go.

* * *

Told you. Complete self-indulgent fluff.


	13. Interrogation

Thanks for the reviews guys! 13 chapters, wow! And yes, this chapter starts in France with Ed and Al. Well, mostly Ed. I should probably mention now that not only is 'six' a number, it is also Navy slang for 'rear end', 'heiney', 'keister', 'butt'. "Stick to my six" Stay close. I didn't think Haults was the kind of guy to cuss and I've been watching JAG (great show by the way) so he uses Navy slang. Haults kind of looks like he could be a sailor...maybe...well no. But I thought it fit his personality.

* * *

"Bastard..." groaned Edward. He sat up on the cold metal table where he had been sleeping. He grasped the tableside for support. "Ouch!" Ed let go quickly. With a grimace he remembered the force with which his left arm was thrust into handcuffs. Gregory Haults stopped outside as he was passing by and poked his head into the room. 

"You're awake? I'm sorry about that." he said casually, "I will have a doctor report here and set your arm." And then closed the door and continued walking.

"If my arm wasn't like this..." Edward muttered furiously to himself. After a few minutes however his hatred waned and his mind turned to other details. He was not in a cell (something he decided to ponder at a later time). He was in a rather large metal room that held nothing more than a mirror, the table he was sitting on and one small chair.. No sink or toilet anywhere to be found. Ed slid off the table and at the sound of his automail clanking on the steel floor, looked down.

He had been completely stripped, save for his white boxers which had been mercifully untouched, and his blonde hair hung freely around his shoulders. He glanced around the room, hoping to find his clothes folded up in a corner. He had no such fortune. To top it off, it was cold. The temperature could not have been more than sixty degrees. However, although it was making the rest of his body shiver, the temperature was soothing to his head which was still burning relentlessly. Clutching his arms around his bare torso, Edward sat back down on the cold table and for lack of something to do, tried to make his automail warm with his breath.

---------------------------------------------------

It may have been an hour or five hours later that Haults returned, Ed did not know. His arm had been crudely set by a gruff careless doctor but was no longer sending strong pulses of pain through his shoulder. Now it was more like a thousand little needles poking and prodding at him. Haults dragged the small chair out of its corner and pulled a file out of a shiny brown briefcase.

"Haults..." Ed growled, repressing the urge to lunge at him. Haults raised his brow at Ed's tone.

"Hm? Are you angry? Did I do something?" Haults asked candidly.

"I'll forget for a moment that you put a gun to my head." Ed spat malevolently. "Where's my brother?"

"Alive."

"That's not what I asked."

"Oh." Haults sighed. "Your tone is so rude Edward. And we had such a nice conversation on the train too." Ed ground his teeth.

"Yeah." he answered sarcastically. "Before you broke my arm. Where's Al?"

"He's safe."

"I want to see him." Edward demanded. Haults seemed completely unconcerned, as if he were having a magnificent daydream.

"Of course you do."

"_Now_." Ed snarled.

"You will in good time."

"There's no time like the present."

"Good things come to those who wait." said Haults lightly. "Please do not begin a cliché battle with me." Haults took a pocket watch out of his jacket, studied it mildly and tucked it back in. "How is your arm?" Haults asked pleasantly.

"Perfect." Ed replied through gritted teeth.

"I'm glad. How's the temperature?"

"Freezing. Do your suspects break more easily if they're under stress?"

"Yes actually, they do."

"What, do they get distracted looking for their clothes?" To his surprise, Haults chuckled.

"You have quite a mouth on you. Normal prisoners tend to bite their tongue." Haults turned his back for a second to check his briefcase. It was long enough for Ed to stick his tongue out and pull his bottom eyelid down at him. Haults took a pen out of his breast pocket and held it at ready over the file.

"Shall we begin?"

"You can start by telling me what my brother and I were arrested for."

"Oh, was that part skipped over?" Edward gaped at him. How thick was this man? Haults flipped absentmindedly through the file in his hand.

"Why were you traveling to Lyon?" He did not seem interested in answering any questions.

"My brother and I are headed to Paris. Lyon is just a stop." He decided to go along with the questioning for the time being. There was always a chance Haults would let something slip. Haults made a mark in the file.

"Why are you going to Paris?"

"Research." Ed answered simply.

"On what?"

"That's none of your business." said Edward nastily.

"So you're not traveling to investigate the marking that appeared in Paris two days ago?"

"How—no." But Ed knew he had not covered his surprise well. Haults was staring suspiciously at him.

"So you didn't meet with Amanda Curtis?" This time his curiosity won out.

"How the hell do you know about that?" demanded Edward. Haults raised a brow.

"She told us." Ed made a scathing noise.

"What does this have to do with the forty-seven murders Al and I are supposed to have committed?"

"Oh? Someone informed you?"

"You started in Britain? Al and I were in Britain five months ago. You were looking for someone who was passing through Lyon and onto Paris. It's not that hard to figure out." Ed glared at him for a moment. He then sighed and sat back down on the cold table. "Look, Al and I are just trying to get home, ok?" Haults folded his papers back into his briefcase.

"I believe you." Ed's ears perked.

"Eh?"

"I've seen a lot of murderers, and you're not one of them." He patted Edward's head gruffly. "Your eyes are innocent." Ed smirked serenely and removed Haults' trashcan hand from his head. Several memories flashed in his mind's eye.

"Not quite so innocent."

"Maybe so. But you're still a child." Haults moved his chair back to its original position. "Tomorrow you and your brother will be moved to Paris for sentencing." he informed and turned the door handle.

"Wait! You just said—"

"I told the higher ups even before I walked in here. All eight of them discarded it."

"So you just decided to put us on trial?!" Ed screamed at his back. Haults turned. He gazed at Edward mournfully.

"I said 'sentencing', not 'trial' Edward. The press is on our six about this and the military will not put the victims' families through the embarrassment of a trial. It's over." He ignored the fact that every bit of anger throbbed in his head. Ed's temper, which was always a short kick to rage, boiled over.

"SO YOU GET THE PRESS OFF YOUR ASS AND THE FAMILIES GET FAKE CLOSURE WHILE A MURDERER GOES FREE?!" Edward bellowed. "THAT'S A HELL OF A DEAL!"

"Please calm—"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! YOUR MILITARY'S JUST TURNING US INTO SCAPEGOATS TO COVER THEIR OWN SORRY ASS!" Ed was panting slightly now. He felt like someone had been playing spin the bottle with his head. Haults just continued to stare at him. His face did not show any emotion, no indication that he had even heard Ed.

"I'll see to it that your brother is brought to you." he said calmly, but his jaw was working furiously. He pushed the door open, exited, and closed it. The keys clicked as the door locked. A knot had formed in Edward's chest, pulsing out hot blood. He gave a murderous shout and threw his right arm into the shining metal wall.

However he immediately regretted the outburst as his head gave a particularly painful throb.

------------------------------------------

"Ni-san!" Al was shoved carelessly into the room. He crawled over to where Ed was slumped against the wall. Ed examined his brother closely. Other than a few bruises he seemed to be unharmed. Al's hand flung immediately to Ed's forehead

"Ni-san, you're still burning up."

"T-that so?" Ed drug up a shivering smile. "I'm fre-freezing. Bastards s-stripped me and st-tuck me in this room and I s-swear it's been getting col-colder ever since." At once Al threw his red jacket around Ed's shoulders. Ed didn't think he had ever felt anything warmer. He drew the fabric tightly around him.

"Ni-san, they just finished interrogating me." Edward glanced curiously at Al.

"H-how? Haults was just here, interrogating me." The knot in his chest tightened as he remembered the occasion, but swallowed the urge to start yelling again.

"It wasn't Haults; it was Amanda and Wra-Alexander." The knot stopped kicking and untangled in favor of this information.

"What are they doing here?" Al shook his head.

"I don't know. But Ni-san..."

"What?" Al shifted uncomfortably. Edward laid a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened? Did they say something?"

"Alexander said something that made me think..." Al dropped his eyes. "Ni-san, I wouldn't ask this if he hadn't said..."

"Al, I think we've been through enough together that you can ask me anything." Edward said encouragingly. But Al still looked hesitant. He took a deep breath.

"Ni-san, did you—did you and Winry ever...ever..." he trailed off again. But he did not need to finish for Edward to understand what he was asking. He rested his head against the wall. His stomach plummeted. He had almost forgotten that he had not told Al.

"Nevermind!" said Al briskly. "It's completely stupid! It's an interrogation; of course they were going to try to play with my mind. Forget it, it's no—"

"Once."

"...what?"

"Once." Edward repeated in a voice very much unlike his own. "The last night we were in Resembul...right before we went to finish the Homunculus. She was making a few last minute adjustments to my arm...it was really late and—" A stillness seemed to have washed over Edward, a sweet mist. "—and we went to get a few parts from the closet. I was really clumsy, I slipped. There was a really bright moon..."

"You don't have to explain to me Ni-san." said Al quietly. "You love her." Edward allowed the mist to linger for a moment, then shattered it.

"What did Wrath say that made you ask?" said Ed intently. For a moment Al looked as though he would say, but then he shook his head.

"I can't tell you Ni-san."

"What? Why not?"

"I just can't. But I can tell you that we have to get to Paris. We've got to get back to Resembul, even if I have to give my body up again."

"There's nothing worth that Al." said Ed darkly. Al simply smiled knowingly at him. Edward shrugged it off. "Look Al, they're going to be shipping us to Paris, so we have to keep still until we get there, alright?"

"What are they doing that for?"

"Sentencing."

"Sentencing?!" Al yelped, "When was the trial?"

"'The military will not put the victims' families through the embarrassment of a trial.'" Ed quoted. "We just have to wait for the right moment." Al sighed.

"So, do we know what we're charged with?"

"Remember those forty-seven murders Haults talked about?" said Ed heavily.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Ni-san?" Edward closed his heavy eyelids.

"What?"

"Where do you think they put Fooz?" Ed rolled his head along the wall to give Al an incredulous look. A cat. He was worried about a cat.

* * *

Teehee. Long chapter, ne? I'm going to spend the rest of my day trying to figure out all the little plot nuances from now until the end, even if the only thing I come up with is an idea that might be passable if rearranged. Though, I tried to do this earlier in the week and ended up writing out some of what happens after he gets back to Resembul. Obviously I can't post that yet. I came up with a great idea too, it's perfect in fact. But as a person who thinks Edward is the greatest thing since rubber bands, I couldn't do it. Not in this one at least, so I'm trying to build a different story around it. Settings and ideas are extremely welcome if you have them (even if you have no idea what the idea is). HINT! Till next time, adieu. 


	14. Conviction

Gomen nasai yo! And thank you for your reviews. I wanted this chapter up a lot sooner, but everytime I sat down to write I ended up sitting down at the piano and playing 'Bratja'. The one they play in the third episode of Fullmetal, the one that goes

Prosti menya, mladshiy brat  
Yak tak pred toboy vinovat

So sad. Tell me if you need a translation/lyrics. But you probably have them anyway. So yeah, I sat down tonight and went "I have to get a chapter up!" and then magical ideas flowed from my fingers. It was great. But since I cut chapter in two it's a tad short. Oh, I have a disclaimer this time too. (I already stated everything belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, this is a different one)

Disclaimer: This story is fiction. The views expressed in this chapter are the views of a old French guy, not the views of the author. She just (attempts) to write believable characters.

* * *

"Fooz!" Al pounced on a cage and unlocked it. A fluffy orange mass launched onto Al's shoulder. Fooz purred happily and mewed at Al. Al mewed back. Ed snickered.

"Good thing they stuck us in with the animals or we might never have found him." said Al cheerfully as Fooz licked his face. Edward gave the kitten a pat on the head.

"Lucky us."

"We get a free ride to Paris too." Al pointed out. "That's really good, considering what you spent our money on." Al nodded to Edward's breast pocket (Haults had been kind enough to return his clothing).

"What _I_ spent our money on?" replied Ed defensively. "_You're_ the one who forced this thing on me." He patted the pocket pointedly. Al's mouth dropped open a bit.

"I was joking when I pointed at your coat—you really keep it in there?" Edward's face flushed.

"Er..." Al's eyes were wavering dangerously. Ed shied away from him. "Al, don't...!" But it was too late. Al dove on him.

"I didn't know you were such a romantic Ni-san!" Ed made a choking noise. His vocal chords felt crushed.

"Geroff me!" But Al did not seem to care.

"You're so sweet!" Fooz meowed in agreement. Ed pushed Al off him.

"Get off me!" This time Al complied, but he was still grinning broadly.

"I'll get you home Ni-san."

"If they don't execute us." reminded Ed. Al simply continued to smile.

"That's it, leave it to my brother to find the cloud in the silver lining."

"They're usually easier to find." said Ed darkly. Al's smile vanished.

"What up with you?" Ed paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"The more I think about it, the more it seems like a rogue scientist conducting experiments. Someone who started fishing for answers about how a flying machine came into Amestris."

"They were _your_ notes." reminded Al.

"Someone could have broken into Winry's house." Al sighed resignedly.

"You don't want to allow yourself hope, no matter what the signs are. You've abandoned yourself to this world and a life in a dream. You don't want to hope no matter how much you want to hope because it'll hurt that much more if we fail. I know you too well Ni-san." said Al in answer to Ed's wary face. "But mostly you're just scared you might actually get back and actually see Winry and have to face your feelings in front of her." Al added bluntly.

"And I've got no idea why you fuss like a woman." replied Ed coarsely.

"Oi." A short rat-faced man entered the luggage compartment. He threw a bundle of clothes at the two brothers. "Put these on. We'll be arriving in twenty minutes." Fooz hissed nastily at him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think there are fleas." Al squirmed outside the courtroom doors. Haults smirked pleasantly down at him.

"Quit wiggling." repeated Ed for the thousandth time.

"You would do well to listen to him Alphonse." advised Haults, "Judge Napier doesn't take well to disruptions."

"But it itches!"

"Well next time we have to go to court I'll make sure they wash the suits first!" Ed whispered harshly. That's what he said, but in reality his skin was crawling as well. The black wool jacket was pricking his neck, the shirt was so stiff it was sucking all moisture from his skin and the inseams of the pants were rubbing in very uncomfortable places.

"Next case!" came the dreaded call from the courtroom. His heart sped up. Haults pushed the heavy, thick oak doors open. Al and Ed fatefully walked in.

The benches were empty for the most part—Amanda Curtis was there. So was Alexander, looking equally uncomfortable in his suit. He was glaring evilly at his mother for making him wear it. It was also considerably warmer inside the courtroom than in the hall. Ed's wool suit began to take its toll. He glanced over at Al. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his hairline as well.

The Napier was a very mature man. His eyelids drooped over the rim of his glasses, his eyebrows and hairline had long since disappeared and his face was severely lined. His eyes (though somewhat hidden by his folding eyelids) were bright blue. Ed was sure that when he was a younger man, those eyes had been quite piercing. Now however, they were dulled by age.

"Edward and Alphonse Elric." The Napier read off a piece of paper. Edward was taken aback. Al jumped beside him. His voice was quite different from what Ed had expected . It was sharp and strong. The man had only a slight French accent. Obviously he was well versed in foreign language and had been for several years. Unlike his eyes, his voice had lost none of its potency.

"You have been convicted of the forty-seven murders of various people from England to France. Edward is nineteen and Al is fourteen, correct?"

"Yes." Haults answered in a voice to rival the judge's.

"Ms. Curtis," the Napier turned wiltingly to her. "You recommended that Al be tried as an adult." Curtis nodded. "Mr. Haults," his voice became more firm, "You recommended that the death penalty be removed as punishment." Ed jerked his head astoundingly at Haults. Haults gave him no recognition.

"I did." responded Haults concretely. The judge slid his spectacles to the edge of his nose and gazed studiously at Haults.

"Why? According to your record this is quite unusual."

"Extenuating circumstances." said Haults. "All victims were non-German. These boys are survivors of that terrible war. They were attempting to avenge their friends and family. While I do not condone their activity I do not believe they were in control of their actions." Anger licked his insides. Edward ground his teeth. He was using the victims of war to justify murder.

"Everyone lost someone in that war Mr. Haults." Napier changed tone again, it was now short and showed a complete lack of concern for the lives of the two boys standing before him. "I lost three grandsons and a daughter. It is not an excuse for murder. The Treaty of Versailles is more than a fair penance for the damage Germany caused. The Allies were exceedingly generous. Now." His voice returned to normal, though slightly more brisk. He scanned the file on his desk. Edward felt a rush of pride toward the judge for not allowing Haults' injustice take a stand. That rush faded however as Napier continued.

"Firing squad or gallows, take your pick." Napier smiled revoltingly at them. "I won't let you anticipate your deaths. Two days."

"NO!" Before Edward had a chance to process what was happening, Alexander had leapt over the barrier between the seats and the judge's seat and was now succeeding in scrambling up the high front of the desk, his hand flailing savagely at the Napier's neck. Napier shouted something in French and a guard grabbed Alexander around the waist and attempted to pry him off. Alexander hung on, still swiping and Napier's neck.

"ALEXANDER!" Amanda shouted from the back. Alexander's fingers were starting to bleed from the strain of holding on.

"YOU STUPID, STUPID MAN! THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! THEY STILL HAVE WORK YOU FOOL! THIS WORLD IS GOING TO BE DESTROYED! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING!_ I'LL KILL YOU!_" And with a great heave the guard wrenched Alexander off the counter and dragged his thrashing body out of the courtroom.

* * *

"You don't want to hope no matter how much you want to hope" ...does that make sense at all? This is the only time I kinda sorta wished I knew a little bit of French--I could have put Napier's order in French. But I'm sure that feeling will pass. I have no desire to learn French. Sorry to French speakers, I prefer Japanese. French are mean to foreigners. 'Ow dare ve not know ze languazhe de amour?' Haha, it's kinda funny how Spanish speakers (Yo hablo Espanol) can read French--it's pretty similiar when it's written down. Mata ne!


	15. Crack

Why did I name this 'Redemption'? Does it really have anything to do with redemption? I mean, I'm sure the title made sense to me at 3 in the morning when I posted this, but really...Thank you very much for your reviews! Hit triple digits O.o Has it already been three days since I updated? Well, next installment. It's kinda short, but the last chapter and this one were supposed to be one chapter. However I should probably revise my statement 'Yo hablo espanol' to 'Yo leo espanol'. Definately. Besides, while I wasn't working on this I finished the upper half of my arm and started working on my leg. It's so cool! Ooh, and I have questions:

1) Do you play piano/violin/flute?

2) Sakura-Con ni ikimasu ka?/ Are you going to Sakura-Con?

If your answer is 'yes' to both of those, we must find each other. I'm working on that Bratja piece and it would sound so pretty with piano, violin and flute all together. I'm trying to get people together to play it. I play piano and flute so take a pick.

Tebya soblaznil ya ----------------------------------I lured you  
Prekrasnoy nadezhdoy -----------------------------With the beautiful hope  
Verut' nash semeynyiy ochag -----------------------To regain our familial hearth  
Moy brat, ya vo vsem vinovat ----------------------My brother, it's all my fault

Nye plach', nye pechal'sya, starshiy brat! ----------------Don't cry, don't despair older brother  
Nye tyi odin vinovat. ------------------------------------You are not the only one to blame  
Doroga u nas odna, -------------------------------------We both have one road  
Iskupim vinu do dna. ------------------------------------Let's bury the blame to the depths

Mnye nye v chem tebya upreknut'.---------------------- I can't blame you for anything  
I ya nye obihen nichut'. ---------------------------------And I hold no hard feelings  
Tyazhek, nash gryekh ----------------------------------Heavy is our cause  
Khotet' byit' silneye vsekh. -----------------------------The desire to be stronger than all

I'm completely obsessed with this song! How perfect is that for them? So perfect! So completely perfect! You couldn't make a more perfect song for them if you tried. Oh, if you understood 'Sakura-Con ni ikimasu ka?', be my penpal...I need someone to write Japanese to.

* * *

"Germans...out!" Napier snarled, pointing a finger at Ed and Al. Haults ushered them out. The hallway echoed with a _boom_ as the big oak doors shut. Haults led them on a silent march back to their cell. By the look on his brother's face, Ed was sure their pending execution had consumed Al's thoughts. But somehow, that did not seem very important. He was far more concerned with Wrath's outburst. _'They still have work to do; this world is going to be destroyed.'_ What did that mean? Despite its unceasing burning, his mind raced through alchemy laws and equations, which were surprisingly easy to access considering he had not been involved with alchemy for years. The problem took him all the way back to his cell where his trance was broken by the clanging of the cell door. His eyes refocused. Haults' glasses were lying on the cobblestone jailhouse floor. Haults himself was leaning against the bars. Ed had not noticed before—his glasses always hid his eyes. Haults' eyes were a reddish-yellow and heavily lined. His arms hung limply at his sides. Suddenly he did not seem so large. 

"I'm sorry." he said lowly. "I thought if I could buy time I could catch the real killer." Anger reared in Edward's chest again.

"You can't use murder to justify murder Haults." he growled. He waited for Haults' cocky answer, polite and sarcastic; and he waited to rip his head off for it.

"I know." His tone was not sarcastic or cocky. Ed's anger lay down. "I thought if I could save two innocent boys..." He reached through the bars and placed a fatherly hand on Edward's face. "I failed you again...and I'm sorry." Then he picked up his glasses and left.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Ni-san, how's your head? Should I ask for a cool cloth?" Ed sincerely wished Al would not speak.

"No Al, I'm fine." he answered monotonously.

"And you haven't gotten any better at lying."

"What would they care about the health of a death row prisoner anyway?" _Don't answer that Al, just be quiet..._His mind was still wandering through a maze of alchemy notes. What he would not give for a book from Central's famous library.

"You're going to need your health to escape." Ed kept quiet. Any answer would prompt more conversation. He was too drained to think of an escape plan anyway. Even his muscles had stopped working.

"We _are_ escaping?" Edward denied him an answer once more. Were they escaping? Perhaps he'd just lay here and let them execute him. That would stop his head from pounding and his stomach from giving a nauseating turn every few minutes. That would stop his dream. He and Al would go back to the gate. Who really knew what was through that thing anyway? Maybe it was heaven, maybe there was a God...maybe they could see their mom's face again...

"Ni-san?" This time he did respond.

"That seems so long ago, doesn't it Al? When we were working for the military and searching for the Stone and eating stew with Winry. I'm only nineteen, and I feel like our lives are so far away...and I think...I think I miss that Flame bastard..."

"Dying isn't going to bring us closer to them!" His head was pounding so much...if only it would stop so he could _think_...

--------------------------------

"Don't bite! You're going to see them, there!" Alexander was propelled by his guard and latched onto Ed and Al's cell with both arms and legs.

"LEAVE!" Alexander shouted. The guard looked terrified and did as he was told. Ed sat up despite his pulsing head.

"What do you want Wrath?"

"_You._" Alexander stared between Edward and Al. "_Get out._"

"We're trying to Alexander, can you help us?" asked Al. At the moment Edward could not have been less concerned with an escape plan. This was his only chance to get some answers.

"You're going to destroy us!" Alexander pointed a wild finger at Ed.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"You have to get out, you have to go back!" Edward snatched Alexander's collar.

"Wrath, I'm going to find out what that means if I have to kill you." Alexander went rigid. His violet eyes kept a fearful lock on Ed. Before Edward had a chance to do anything Alexander's foot came up and hit him square in the chest. Edward landed hard on his back. His lungs felt crushed; he gulped for air.

"Ni-san!"

"Al..." Ed struggled to sit up as his lungs began to take in air again. Al grasped his shoulders to help. "His leg...Al..." A lump shot up his throat. His chest contracted violently.

"Ni-san..." Al's voice was shaking. Blood dripped into a pool on the cobblestone. "Ni-san, what's happening...?" Edward wiped the blood from his mouth.

"I do-don't know..." he said, gasping for breath.

"You're dying." Ed looked up. Alexander's eyes were now transfixed on the blood running down Edward's front.

"It's your price for going where you shouldn't." Alexander glanced up at him again and grinned bestially. "You shouldn't have made the crack. You shouldn't have made the crack!" he said in a singsong voice.

"What crack?" Al shouted. Alexander just laughed. He leapt from one bar to the other, spanning the length of the cell. A familiar clanking sound followed.

"Wrath..." said Ed darkly, "Why do you have that leg?" Alexander stopped, but continued to grin. He pulled up his left pant leg.

"You gave it to me, don't you remember?" Chrome gleamed where a few days ago had been flesh.

"Automail..." Al breathed. "How...?" Alexander started laughing again.

"THE CRACK THE CRACK THE CRACK THE CRACK!"

"WRATH!" Ed bellowed at him

"THAT'S MY NAME THAT'S MY NAME!" Edward made to lunge at him, but his legs gave out beneath him.

"You just yelled at Napier for executing us Wrath, why are you laughing now?" Ed demanded. Immediately Alexander stopped laughing. His eyes rolled back in his head. His body began to shake violently and dropped off the bars.

A loud rumbling shook the earth beneath them. People outside shrieked. Alexander let out an ungodly howl. His small body twisted and writhed on the stone. Al scrambled to the small window.

"Ni-san, look!" Edward forced his muscles to work. He grabbed the window for support and look out into the scene.

A rune etched by blue lightening thundered in the clouds. A spark flew to the ground, striking the town square. The earth gave a harsh jerk and both Ed and Al were thrown from their places. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was over. Alexander had passed out in stream of drool.

"Ni-san, what—"

" '_They still have work to do; this world is going to be destroyed.'_ This is what he meant Al." Edward panted hoarsely. He stifled a cry as a spike drilled his skull, but he finally understood. "That's the crack—their attempt to bring us back is going to rip this world apart."

* * *

Ugh...I think the fact that I had a horrible headache when I was writing this tuned me into Edward's pain. Oh no! He's dying! No, that wasn't sarcastic. There really is cause for alarm. I want to kill a person. Very badly. Oh yeah! If any of you French speakers could tell me the word for 'bread' (unless you have a spiffier name for a bakery)and the possessive particle and order please, though I assume it's the same as Spanish. El gato de mi papa...It would really save me alot of time. And I got a review alert for my Naruto fanfic, 'Guideline'. It was anonymous but if it was one of the readers of this story, let me know if I need to start updating that again. Next chapter might start out in Resembul, depends on if I can get over my mental block or not. If not next one, definitely the one after. 


	16. Fire

You know, last night when I posted chapter 16 I thought, "Well this is really crappy, but I think I can live with it." Hm, no. I can't. When you can not bear to scroll back and reread something you've written, you know it's bad. I'm sorry for the complete cow dung you had to read yesterday. Doesn't work. At all. Ever. So I'm reposting. This is better. I can read this one. So you can forget the shit I posted yesterday--it has no bearing on the story and never will. Anyway, it runs the same up until I shift over to Winry's POV.

* * *

Roy Mustang crept down into the bowels of East Headquarters. Apparently the two officers in Resembul had not yet regained consciousness, otherwise Headquarters would have been swarming with people. Even if they had, it would be some time before they would be able to notify the higher-ups of the situation. Roy halted his steps. There was a dim light filtering out of a room at the end of the dirty hallway. He held his breath and-praying he would not step on anything- advanced on the door. He pulled on an ignition glove. After all, he could not have anyone interfering, and he needed that room. He stood stock straight against the wall just outside the door. A shadow was projected into the hallway. Whoever was in there was coming out.

"Colonel, what are you doing?" A few sparks flew from his glove. Riza Hawkeye was giving him a puzzled look. Roy clutched his chest.

"Do you know how close I was to putting you in the hospital Riza?" he said, and relaxed his muscles. "What are you doing down here?"

"Same thing you were going to do." Riza smirked at him. "You need more ingredients, right?"

"Winry tipped you off?" Roy guessed, and returned her smirk.

"You've had quite a night." said Riza, "Attacked two loyal military officers, blew up a military vehicle, resisted arrest _and_ had an illicit affair."

"Oh that." Roy chuckled benignly, "Well, it was the only way to relay the message, wasn't it?"

"Indeed." Roy stopped laughing. Riza's voice had changed. It was bitingly cold. He felt a twinge of guilt. No matter how it seemed, he was not oblivious to his lieutenant's feelings for him.

"Riza, it was."

"Yes, sir." she replied shortly and shoved the bags of ingredients into his hands before walking abruptly back down the hall.

----------------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Jenkins!" Winry pounded on the door. "Mr. Jenkins, wake up!" She kicked the door out of frustration. "MR. JEN—"

"Good Lord child, you're going to break my house." The door swung open to reveal a groggy Mr. Jenkins.

"Sorry." Winry apologized quickly. "But I need to borrow your car, I can't take the train."

"Then you had better go back to bed missy because the car is gone. Your dark haired friend came by about thirty minutes ago and practically begged me to lend it."

"Roy was here?" Jenkins nodded.

"But he didn't make as much noise as you, I'll tell you that.

"Mr. Jenkins, don't you have a motor bike or something?" Winry pleaded, though she felt slightly abashed for making such a ruckus.

"I need to go places too you know."

"This is more important!" Winry snapped. She softened her voice immediately however. Jenkins looked positively insulted at her disregard for his needs. "It would mean a great deal to me. Your next check-up is free." she said, nodding to his right leg. "In fact, if you lend me your bike you'll never have to spend another cent on automail." Jenkins reached into a cabinet by the door and handed her a key.

"It's out back. Try to have it back in two days. Hell, I'll be happy to have it back in one piece. Now let me sleep." Winry gave the man a gracious bow and streaked across his yard to where his motor bike was leaning against the shed.

She did not want to stray too far from the road, but at the same time she knew military cars would be rushing down it any time now. Winry picked a path through the meadows that allowed her to keep a dim view of the brown road line, but far enough away that she was not easily spotted from that brown line. She kicked the gear up a notch. She could not afford to lose any time.

An hour later her hands and cheeks were numb from the wind blowing on her face. She was nearing East Headquarters; houses were becoming more a more frequent sight. She was thankful, the bike was beginning to emit dysfunctional sounds. Just then her eyes fell on a sight she could not believe she had not noticed before. There were cracks in the clouded sky. She thought for a moment her mind was playing a trick on her, but there were without a doubt, defined lines scrawled in the clouds.

On one of the nearer crack a lavender bolt formed at the corner. She saw the strike released as if in slow motion. She jerked the handlebars of the bike to dodge it, but even so she was too slow. The bolt caught the hind wheel of the bike and sent it spinning. Winry dove off in midair to avoid the final crash. She tucked her arms protectively around her body and pushed her weight to her right side. Her right shoulder took the brunt of the impact. She struggled to sit up. The bike was burning merrily ten feet away. Winry glanced back up at the sky. More charges were forming. She reeled on to her knees and crawled blindly through the shower of electricity. She curled into a defensive roll as a charge struck not five inches from her hand, but with a painful throb from the back of her head, everything turned black.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Probably passed out drunk. Women shouldn't drink." Winry moaned at the sound of the voice. She felt cobblestone under her hands. Or was it cobbled stone? It felt a little like grass too... Through her blurry vision she saw a high class woman looking snootily at her before passing on. After a few moments her vision cleared. She was lying on the side of a sidewalk. Cars ambled through the streets. A bell chimed the hour in the distance. The bell caught her. The city she was near did not have a bell. She looked around more closely. In fact, it did not look anything like this. Maybe she was in a different part. Winry stood up surprisingly easily. Her body was not aching like it should after a crash. She rolled her right shoulder. It felt perfect. Had she dreamt it all?

"Sir, sir!" She stopped an accountant-like person. "Could you tell me where East Headquarters is?" He looked at her as though she had three heads.

"Paris does not have Headquarters anything."

"Paris!? What country is this?"

"France." The man said slowly as if she were stupid.

"T-thank you..." she mumbled. The man raised an eyebrow at her and continued with his business. Winry rubbed her head. Amestris did not have any neighboring countries called France. And...her eyes fell transfixed on her hand. She was not sure how it was possible. Her hand was opaque. She could vaguely see the other side of the street through it. Her stomach leapt into a pit. There was just no way...She searched the crowd aimlessly for someone who might have an answer, like someone might be holding up a giant posterboard with all the answers to her questions written on it. Nothing.

A child to her left shrieked. She spun around, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. Wrath was running at her through the crowd, screaming his lungs out. Behind him ran Izumi Curtis. Winry fell back against the brick wall behind her. There was no way...it was impossible. Wrath jumped and latched on to her shoulders.

"YOU!" he screeched. "YOU'RE THE HEART!" Izumi caught up, wrapped her arms around his torso and attempted to pry him off. Wrath dug his fingernails into Winry's shoulder blades to keep his hold. She winced and grabbed his wrists, twisting them to release but they did not.

"YOU'RE THE ONE! YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM BACK HIS HEART! YOU CAN TAKE HIM BACK, YOU CAN SAVE HIM!"

"What are you talking about Wrath?" gasped Winry from pain. His nails dug further still.

"YOU'RE HIS ONLY HEART! THE ONE SCARRED BY GOD!" Winry forgot her pain.

"Ed?! He's here? Where is he?" All the blanks quickly filled in. This was that other world, the one Edward had come through in the underground city. Wrath pointed down the alleyway. Izumi immediately released Wrath, pulled a gun out of her waistband and disappeared down the alley. Winry followed her as quickly as she could; Wrath was still clutched on her front. Halfway down the alley, three people were climbing out of a basement window. Wrath dropped to the ground, staring at Winry fearfully.

"You're going. Bye-bye." he said eerily, and waved. Winry looked down at her hand. It was completely transparent now and any color was receding quickly. Then her body stopped. Through her translucent fingers she saw them. Both of them. Air rushed back into her system.

"ED!" she belted his name as loud as she could. Both Ed and Al whirled around. Al's mouth was dropped open. Edward's gold eyes were wide. His hand reached to her.

"Win—" A round of gunshots pulsed the air. Al grabbed his brother by the arm and ran. Izumi sped by, matching their pace. Wrath bolted after her on all four limbs, and he was gaining. After that, she did not know.

Winry rolled over. Her shoulder was pounding and bleeding languidly. She looked up. In her attempt to escape the charges she had hit a boulder. She assumed that was the cause for her loss of consciousness. Winry would have thought everything a dream however, she could still feel the place where Wrath had dug into her back. She pulled herself to her feet. East Headquarters had to be less than a mile away.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Riza, would you hand me the blue measuring cup?" Riza thrust in roughly into Mustang's hand. Roy rolled his eyes and measured out the precise amount of benzene. He took as step back as he dumped it into his concoction. The contents in the barrel flamed for a brief moment and settled down. A peaty, earthy aroma now filled the small abandoned cabin where he and Hawkeye had taken shelter. East Headquarters had swarmed with people during the day, but now that night had fallen again it was quiet; everybody was out looking for Colonel Mustang.

Normally, he would have gladly stationed himself with Hawkeye, but ever since the night before she had been angry, sharp and emotional. In short, she had turned into a bad soldier.

"Colonel, I think we should risk returning to Headquarters. We will need to secure certain areas." she said briskly, and turned on her heel. Deciding to trust her judgment for the moment, Mustang nodded and followed her. But after she had 'inadvertently' slammed a door in his face he chose to address the situation.

"Lieutenant," he growled finally, "If you have something to say to me, say it." Riza leapt on him as if she had been praying for this opportunity. However, she didn't seem able to say anything. "I'm going to have to count on you tonight and I need to know that I can count on you, so whatever you want to get off your chest, say it! That's an order Lieutenant!"

"You are the most irresponsible child ever allowed the rank of Colonel!" Riza exploded. Roy was taken aback, despite his order; he had expected Riza to simply affirm that he could count on her and return to her usual self. Instead, years of restraint seemed to pour out.

"You chase women and feed animals while you procrastinate on your work and then complain you didn't have enough time, you clock out early to go meet girls and get the rest of us to cover your six, you stay up till all hours of the night, and you can't let anything go! Look at you! You've decided not to accept that one of your friends is gone, no, you've got to bring him back from another world and—" The phone at the desk rang. Riza snatched it up as a matter of a habit and spat sharply into the mouthpiece,

"What?" Her face softened. "Oh, no... No, we haven't seen either of them...yes, of course we'll keep an eye out...keep in touch." Her eyes then returned to an angry glare. "That was Pinako, Colonel. Winry walked out right after you left last night, she said she was going to East Headquarters. I haven't seen her, have you?" Her voice grew in intensity as she spoke. "Guess what else? Ryan and Anna decided they needed to follow their mother, so they ran away and I bet it's all your fault. You were so damned mysterious you tempted them right into danger. I told you we should have been straight with her, I _told _you. But no you had to pro—Winry!" Roy spun round.

"Hey all..." said Winry as normally as she could. She was not sure if she should tell them what she had seen, or what she thought she saw. It was liable to earn her a padded room.

"Winry, Pinako told us you left last night—" Roy stopped.

"Ryan and Anna left on their own?"

"That's what Pinako told us." said Riza. "They should be around here someplace, they know where we are. We'll look for them."

"What are those cracks in the sky Roy?"

"There are cracks? Shit."

"What are they Colonel?" Riza spoke this time.

"A side effect of my work." answered Roy undecievingly. Winry's voice became stronger,

"What is that supposed to mean? What are you hiding from me Roy?" Riza started to speak but Roy cut her off.

"Winry, I swear you'll know everything in just a short time. Until then, please be patient." Winry looked at him as if she had been slapped in the face.

"'Be patient'?" she asked incredulously. Roy mentally smacked himself as he realized the full extent of what he had said.

"I know it's something you're well practiced at, but I have to ask it of you now." Winry's face struck an unforgiving composure.

"State Alchemists are all the same. You never think about the impact your actions will have on others. And you do it all under the guise of protecting your friends! 'Alchemist, be thou for the people!'" Winry's terrifying voice echoed in the empty halls. "If there is one thing I learned from Ed and Al's alchemy obsession it is that! But you don't act for the people, do you? You State Alchemists are consumed by the assumption that your actions don't affect the world! You think because you study life's energy you can rise above it! You think it's your art!"

"Winry!" Roy reached out and grabbed her arm. Winry tore it out of his hand.

"I have an art too Flame Alchemist and it hurts a lot more when I toss it around! So unless you want me to fashion you a new eye, let—" Roy's battle trained ears picked it up the second the bullet left the gun. He instinctively dove on top of Winry, carrying them both to the ground. At the same time, an explosion boomed just outside the doors. A military truck was overturned by sheer force. Winry struggled under his grip. Riza was already firing off rounds at a silhouette that was moving swiftly across the upper railing.

"Winry, stay put!" Roy ordered. But she landed a kick to the small of his back and squirmed out of reach. Riza stopped shooting as the figure disappeared from view.

"Colonel!" She lent Roy an arm to help him to his feet. There was a loud clang as Winry kicked open Headquarters' front doors and out on to the sidewalk.

"Oh no..." Roy pushed his legs under him. He thought he had seen...

Outside was the scene he hoped it wasn't. Winry was bent over two small bodies, shifting them out of the odd angles they had landed at when the truck overturned. However, she was not crying, in fact she clutched her chest and gave a deep sigh. When Roy reached her, she was actually laughing.

"They just fainted." she explained. "I don't think they even hit their heads."

"Thank God." Roy breathed.

"Help me carry them to a safer place, they should wake up soon." Roy nodded and picked up Ryan. Winry took Anna and Roy led her to a bushy walled corner on the building side. Just as soon as they had laid the twins on the grass however, Riza came bolting around the corner followed by shells. She shoved the bag of ingredients at Roy.

"About a dozen trucks just pulled up. Forty soldiers have entered Headquarters and fifty more are filing onto the grounds. It was a good plan Colonel, but the higher-ups have finally caught on."

"Colonel Mustang!" A new voice, a woman's traveled to their hideout. "Surrender now and we'll show some leniency!"

"Riza, tell them to go to hell." Riza smirked.

"Yes sir." Roy gave her a pat on the back.

"On my mark." He paused a moment to wait for the reload. "Mark!" Simultaneously, Roy streaked into the woods and Riza rolled into the open, providing as much cover fire as her gun would allow. Winry turned to Ryan and Anna, both of whom were beginning to stir. Out of the corner of her eye she saw at least ten soldiers enter the woods. Riza dove back behind the wall to reload.

"Riza, they have soldiers following Roy!"

"What do you think I can do about it?" snapped Riza. "He's a soldier and an alchemist; he'll be fine as long as I keep these other soldiers off him."

"Make sure Ryan and Anna stay out of this." Winry ordered.

"Where're you going?!"

"I think Roy's planning to sacrifice himself to make a gate." Winry explained sullenly. Riza looked shaken, but quickly regained herself.

"That idiot!" she shouted, and hurled herself back into the fight. Winry took off into the brush. She was not going to sit idle again while her friends vanished around her.

----------------------------------------------------------

Roy shoved bramble out of his path. Lightening from the rifts in the sky was pummeling the ground every few feet. He could hear the shouts of soldiers in the forest. Seven or eight by the sound of it, he had already disabled two. He gasped air through the knot in his lungs. The clearing was just ahead, if he could only reach it...Someone yanked on the back of his collar. He snapped his fingers.

"Yaah! Careful!" Roy paused his running for a brief moment.

"Winry?"

"Keep moving you dolt!" shouted Winry and gave him a push. They stumbled into a clearing. With a quick snap of his fingers, Roy lit a wall of fire around them. He fumbled to untie the bag and poured the precisely measured contents on to the forest floor.

"What're you..." Roy held a hand in front of her.

"Don't go any further." Once more he knelt on the edge of the circle. Winry placed a halting hand on his shoulder.

"Roy, those rifts lead to the other side, right? I don't know much about alchemy, but I know that this gate has a price." Roy nodded in acknowledgement.

"I know." And placed his hands on the rim of the rune.

"Roy!" Amidst the dancing red flames and storm of violet thunder, copies of the rune boxed them in and the forest shrank into white light.

* * *

Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a bit emotionally bland...but still miles above the other one. I know I've mentioned a desire to kill before, why does it have to be Ed? I would never, ever kill Ed. I would put him through loads of pain though. Heheh...Oh the temptation. 


	17. Betrayal

Long time no see. I wanted to make sure this was better than the last chapter (I still don't like it) so that's why it took so long. I have the rest of it all planned out so you'll see it soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Thursday at the latest (I hope).

* * *

As though from far away he heard a disturbing sound. He tried to ignore it. He was in a peaceful place. A silver mist floated lazily on the white marble beneath his feet. Transparent white drapes swayed in a wind that smelt of sand and salt. It was odd, because there was no sea in sight, but it was pleasant all the same. It was much too peaceful a place for disturbing sounds to enter.

The more he denied the noise however, the stronger and clearer it grew. He could now identify the noise. Someone was crying. He felt a drip on his right arm but when he looked down he saw nothing but pale skin. The mist began to recede into the walls; the wind stopped blowing the drapes. The cry seemed to be calling him away. He felt a sharp jerk at his navel and the drapes fell away all together.

A filthy stone ceiling rolled into view. There were sores on his back from lying on the cold, lumpy dirt floor. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a brown mass.

"Al?" he asked. Al made no gesture to show that he had heard him. He pushed his hands under him but at a screaming complaint from the left side of his chest, he contented to sitting halfway up against the cold wall.

"Al." called Edward again, louder but panting slightly. Then, very much like a sniffling child turning to face his parental accuser, Al pivoted around on his butt. Although he knew something devastating must have happened to make Al cry, Ed could not contain a short burst of a grin. Al's face was wrinkly, wet and goopy. Edward thought he looked much like a distraught fat baby and could not keep a tickle out of his voice when he spoke.

"Al, you're eighteen now."

"I'm fourteen Ni-san!" He said it with such force that all thought of amusement was purged from Ed's mind.

"I'm sorry..."

"You should be!" Al's voice continued to rise in intensity.

"Al... be quiet, calm down..." The intrusion of several guards was not top ten on his to do list.

"Don't tell me that!" But his voice was quieter when he continued, though no less hysterical. "I'm fourteen, and I shouldn't have to watch my brother...I couldn't do anything..."

"What are you talking about?"

"You w-went into a fit, a-and then you-your he-heart stopped..." Ed tried to recall what happened before he was in that paradise, but the last thing he remembered was the earthquakes stopping. He thought vaguely that at least he knew why his chest was hurting now.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Al asked, his tears subsiding now. Edward thought about it for a moment then said truthfully,

"No, not really."

"How can it not bother you?"

"I don't remember it. I guess that's why."

"You almost _died_..." The look on Al's face was enough to break through the leisurely attitude he had taken about the affair. Ed tried to keep it up, use it to wave away Al's worries.

"I died before, you took care of that." he said nonchalantly.

"I don't have the Philosopher's Stone or alchemy now, so you can't even try it! We're all each other has in this world Ni-san, and I'm okay with that, but..."

"I'm fine with it too." said Ed, rather defensively. He was taken aback by his own voice. He had not meant for it to come out that strong.

"Then why are you acting like a brush with death is nothing?" Edward opened his mouth to speak before finding that he had nothing with which to respond. Al continued in a brash accusation.

"You'd rather die than not have a life with Winry!"

"What? Al, you're being irrational!" Ed snapped, "I don't care about my heart stopping because I don't remember it happening, not because I'm suicidal!"

"You have taken more risks here than you would ever take in Amestris! When that uranium scientist was escaping you leapt off the tallest building in Munich to catch his air balloon!"

"That was a calculated risk."

"He was five meters into the air when you did it!"

"Well it's not like I could transmute an arrow could I?" replied Edward sharply. He regretted it immediately. A short burst of fire flared in his left breast.

"What about taking on four guys, all at least twice your size in a five by five compartment? You'd normally wait to get to a place where you'd have more space.

"Did you expect me to go quietly? You're being stupid." said Ed.

"No, I'm being scientific. I drew a conclusion based on numerous facts over a long period of time."

"I don't want to die, Al." said Ed firmly.

"But you don't really want to live alone here."

"I have you Al, that's enough." It was something he had told himself for nearly a year. As long as he had Al, everything would be all right.

"I've been thinking. Maybe the reason the ground's shaking is because equivalent trade hasn't been satisfied yet." Ed knew immediately where Al was headed, and did not want him to get there.

"All I really wanted to do was see you again Ni-san, and I have. I want you to be happy—"

"What's that noise?" Edward faked hearing something to interrupt Al. Life in either world would be unbearable without Al, and he was not going to hear anything to challenge that.

"What noise?" asked Al, he seemed to have lost his nerve to continue. A clang answered him. Edward jumped slightly, after all he had only pretended to hear something.

"What the...?" Al wondered aloud, and stepped up to the cell gate to look. There were disgruntled voices coming from the upper floor. A loud bang sounded and a man's cry was cut short as he hit the bottom of the stairs. Footsteps thundered down the stone steps. Al's eyes widened in shock.

"What is it Al?" Al leapt away from the gate and threw his body over Ed. Ed stifled a groan; Al's elbow dug into his aching side. He discarded it and peered over Al's shoulder.

-------------------------------------------------------

In a demonstration of monstrous strength, Gregory Haults lifted the steel cell bars out of the ground and tossed them aside. Once he had, Al rolled off Ed, who had lost all energy to his limbs.

"Haults! What're you—"

"I'm not going to let you die again." Haults replied simply. Avoiding Edward's gaze, Haults moved to the window and snapped the bars off it as easily as one might snap a toothpick in half. Then, moving Al out of the way, Haults broke the rock surrounding the window with one giant hand.

"The upstairs will be swarming with guards. It'll only be a few seconds before they're down here as well. You need to get out before they are, you are in no shape to fight Edward." Haults lifted Ed off the ground and set him on his feet.

"Thanks..." Ed murmured. Haults laced his fingers and held them under the window for Al. Al glanced at him and then to Ed.

"He'll be right out. Hurry up now." Haults answered. Al nodded and stepped on Haults' hands and pushed himself through the window.

"Your turn." Haults said to Edward. Ed took a step forward. His chest clenched in tight. He doubled over, gasping for air through blocked lungs. Haults patted his head fatherly, picked him up and pushed him through the window.

Edward scrambled to his feet in a cobblestone alley. Haults moved gracefully through the opening, kicking the first wave of officers as he did. In another feat of physical strength, Haults collapsed the stones around the opening, stood and brushed his jacket clean of dust. A familiar shriek sounded

"YOU'RE HIS HEART! THE ONE SCARRED BY GOD!" Ed spun round, holding his arm in front of him to block Alexander.

"Ed!" Another voice, different but still familiar. His defensive stance fell limp. Winry stood at the end of the alley. She was oddly faded, and as the moment passed she became more transparent. He reached to her, to keep her from vanishing.

"Win—" A bullet flew across his ear. Al yanked on his collar, pulling him over the ground. More shells followed, each closer than the last. Even with Al's help Ed could barely keep up. His chest felt as if it were going to collapse.

They made a sharp turn into another alley only to be blocked by brick on all sides.

"Dammit!" Al let go of Edward's collar. Unprepared for his full weight, Ed's legs buckled. The force with which he hit the ground shunted all air out of his lungs. The hand that had held his heart since he woke up in the cell clenched.

"Aahh!" He grasped his chest, attempting to pry invisible fingers loose. Any intake of breath was sharp and painful.

"Ni-san!"

"Give him room Al!" ordered Haults, and held Al back. After a few seconds however, his body began to accept breath and the hand unfastened, if only slightly.

"I'm alright." Ed panted heavily. "Haults, lift us over the wall." Wrath skidded into the dead end on all fours, foaming a little at the mouth.

"Hurry!" growled Alexander. "Before she comes!"

"Who are you—" Al started.

"GO!" Alexander screamed, almost pleadingly.

"You're not going anywhere. You've hit the end of your rope boys." Amanda Curtis came to a running halt at the entrance to the alley. Her gun was steadily aimed, her eyes stone-set.

* * *

Yay. Well, I'm going to need my sleep if I'm going to ignore all my classes tomorrow (assuming I have school) and write the ending instead. Good night all. 


	18. Departure

Haha, and by 'thursday at the latest' I meant 'next friday'. Well, actually it's Saturday morning. Yeah, last week I was way too caught up in Naruto: Shippuden celebrations. AWESOME that it's back by the way. Anyway, you know what I love about writing Fullmetal stories? That I get to write the word 'alchemy'. It is the best word ever. The letter composition is all perfect and when you hear it or read it your mind just goes off the deep end in imagination. Or is that just me?

* * *

"Sensei!" Al shouted.

"She's not our sensei Al!" Ed reminded harshly.

"But—"

"Listen to your brother Al. I'm not your sensei. Obviously she meant a lot to you, and you are going to mean a lot to me." She cocked her gun. "If I return the bodies of two Germans, two enemies to the authorities, I'll have whatever I need." Al was trembling next to him.

"What do you...?" said Al. "The military killed your husband!"

"Ha!" Amanda's laugh was unnatural. For a moment her eyes wavered; perhaps mention of her husband stalled her. "The military can help me bring him back!"

"Al," Edward voiced a thought he had buried deep in his mind, not wanting it to be true. "Don't you think it's weird that someone like her had so much access to condemned prisoners?" A diseased expression crossed Al's face. Ed matched Amanda's stare directly.

"How many souls do you have?"

"Over a hundred." Her answer was cool, remorseless. "After all, who's going to miss death row inmates? They're dead anyway, they might as well be put to use." Her calm disposition reminded him forcibly of Lust's threat in Laboratory No. 5.

"I've learned to accept foul play by the military." Edward growled, "But alchemists should know better! You're husband died as a part of life! You're not special, you're not above the flow of the world! Do you have any idea how many more souls a Philosopher's Stone requires?!" Amanda's steely, business-like constitution shattered.

"I'D SACRIFICE A MILLION PEOPLE TO BRING HIM BACK!"

"Do you think he'd want that?" asked Al quietly. "Your husband was a scientist...he tried to help people." A shot rang out and a bullet struck barely an inch from Al's knee. Tears streamed down Amanda's face.

"Don't...talk about my husband like you knew him..." Her voice was now shaking as much as the gun in her hand. "What do you know...you're only a kid, you couldn't know anything!"

"Amanda—" Haults began, but at that moment Wrath sharply turned and sank his teeth into his mother's ankles. Amanda shrieked with pain and fell to the ground, working to pry Wrath's jaws apart.

"Haults!" Ed shouted. Haults wasted no time in launching him over the brick wall. Al followed shortly after.

----------------------------------------------------

"Go!" Al ordered, "Haults is holding her off—" With barely a warning the brothers were tossed sideways as the ground heaved under them. At the same time, the pain in Edward's chest spiked.

"Ni-san!" Al pointed to a far off place in the sky. The rune was back, brighter than ever but flickering on and off. Time was running out.

"Al, we have to find a way to stop the transmutation!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" Al toppled over as Alexander slammed into the small of his back.

"THE CRACK! FIX THE CRACK!"

"We're trying Alexander!" Al groaned under his weight.

"RUN, YOU HAVE TO GO THERE! YOU HAVE TO GO BACK! FIX WHAT YOU MADE!"

"We can't go there Alexander!" Al argued, "If we do the transmutation will be complete and destroy this world! Ni-san! What—" Ed was not listening anymore. Wrath had just mentioned something he had not before. He grabbed Al's hand and pulled him up in a run toward the rune.

"You were right Al. We can go home!"

"What about—"

"_We_ made that rift Al by being here in the first place! By crossing through the gate we've made a permanent hole between the worlds. We can only exist here for a short time, and we've finally reached the limit from when I first made that rift three and half years ago! _That's_ why I've been so sick! The universe is killing me to send me back through the gate and heal itself, only you're being dragged along too!" explained Ed excitedly. They could go home, free of debt at last!

"Then we're the cause for all this, and once we leave..." Ed nodded enthusiastically.

"Everything will be fine here as long as we leave." Wrath squealed again, but not because of the earthquakes.

"Momma's coming..." he said in a sickly voice. Just as he said, rapid gunfire came from behind. Haults rounded the next corner, matching their course and speed. He was clutching his hand over a grotesquely deep wound on his arm. Haults gave Edward an 'it couldn't be helped' look.

Amanda's shots did not cease even as they closed on the rune, though due to the earthquakes she could not get a clear shot.

"Ni-san!" Al called from a few feet ahead, "Lots of the buildings here have fallen, we're not going to find a way there in time!"

"It's ok, Al, clap your hands!"

"What?"

"Just do it!" Al complied. There was a spark of blue light.

"Ni-san!"

"That transmutation opened the rift enough to use alchemy!" Ed explained quickly, "Make a path!" But as Al's palms touched the ground the earth seemed to roll. Ed, Al, Haults and Alexander were propelled into the broken pieces of buildings. When Edward's eyes refocused, Amanda was standing over them at so close a range that the earthquakes would not interfere with her shot. Her gaze was different from before however. It was fearful and was especially careful to not rest on Al.

"What...are you? Monsters? Demons?" Edward shifted defensively in front of Al.

"We just want to go home." he said carefully.

"Home?!" Amanda scoffed in a high, scared voice, "I'm not going to let monsters go home." She cocked the gun for the last time and pulled the trigger. Alexander vaulted out of the bits of brick and placed a chokehold on Amanda. Edward strained to raise his right arm to meet the bullet, but the automail was too heavy.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Gregory Haults moved his broad body over both Ed and Al. The bullet burrowed into his thick chest. Edward knew it hit because Haults reeled into his shoulders on impact. He heard an awful strangled noise. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Ed felt Haults' lungs gulp for air, and felt them tighten as Haults coughed breath he did not have.

"HAULTS!" Everything blasted back into normal time when his voice finally broke through. Haults' body rolled down the small mountain of stone. His white shirt was already soaked red though his hand was over the wound. Edward ripped his jacket off and dammed the blood.

"You idiot!" But Haults only gave him a translucent smile. His giant hand warmly brushed beads of sweat out of Edward's face.

"My son...I wanted to save my son." Once again, Edward saw his father's bright but sad gold eyes turn to bronze and close. Haults' arm slipped off Ed's face and landed with a _thud_ on the street.

"DAMN IT!" Edward pounded his jacket into the wound, as if to stuff the lost blood back in, as if it would bring him back.

"Ni-san." Al touched his shoulder. "We've got to go while Alexander's still got her." Ed shrugged his hand away.

"This is the second time he's died to send me home. People keep dying...why won't they let me take care of it?"

"Don't let his death be in vain." Al took his hand and pulled. "He died to send us home, so we have to go!" Al hoisted him up to his feet and yanked on his arm. Ed still did not move; Haults' blood was still pouring onto the street.

"Winry's waiting for you right there!" Al cried pleadingly, "You've got to be there, please! Ni-san!"

A barrier in his mind snapped back in place while another opened. He turned and followed Al down the narrow path. It opened into an empty square above which the transmutation rune flickered ominously. Al flung Edward under the rune ahead of him. A mirror image of the rune surfaced from beneath the ground. White-blue light swallowed Paris as the universe roared with triumph.

* * *

OMG i finalii gat here!!!!111LOL. All ridiculousness aside, now I get to write out the scene this all started with that I've had in my head for months but haven't written. I'm going to write it on paper first...I can't wait. So anyway, updates will be much more frequent.

And I have to say something unrelated to this story but perfectly related to Fullmetal Alchemist. I went looking for new wallpaper for my computer and I'm so glad I did because otherwise I would have never known about this. I came across one with Ed (of course) looking very hot (his eyes are so sad and deep and and...waaaaaaaaah! he just looks like he needs a hug!) and it had this written on it:

I promise you there's nothing I won't give

To see this through

Return the soul to where it lives

I promise you, I'll go everywhere I've been

To find a way to make atonement for my sin

And see, see your smiling face again

Then, low and behold it was signed "Nothing I Won't Give"-Vic Mignogna (Ed's english voice actor if you don't know). I was like stare then youtube'd it and heard the whole thing. Flipped out. Completely flipped out. I had to go outside and scream. I mean, the guy wrote a song for Fullmetal Alchemist, it's so perfect! Then, if that wasn't enough, when I was looking for a place to download the song I came across "Brothers"-Vic Mignogna. No way, Brothers is in Russian. Youtube'd it. Flipped out more. I was tugging at my hair. It was hours before I could make it through the songs without fangirl squealing. I couldn't get to sleep until 3:00am. After all, both songs are sung in Ed's voice. If you haven't heard it, you MUST. Absolutely. So perfect!


	19. Home

The light of the transmutation dissipated. There was a sense of relief in his chest; it was no longer hurting. He heard a gasp beside him and Al grabbed his arm. Edward let out a deep sigh. He had not seen Al enter the circle as well, he'd been worried that maybe...no matter.

"Ni-san, look!" Al breathed beside him. But Edward did not open his eyes. He could smell pine and earth, hear birds, but even though every sense in his body told him he was no longer in Paris, he did not risk opening his eyes. There had been times where he had traveled to Amestris, only to wake in the dark of a hotel room.

"Ni-san, it's okay." With Al's assurance as his guide, he carefully cracked an eyelid.

A ring of embers smoldered around the edge of a transmutation circle. Only ten feet away, Roy Mustang crouched at the edge of the circle. He was sweating and panting heavily, but smirked tiredly at Ed and Al's shoes. Standing next to him, hands clutched to her chest and paper white, was Winry. She stared, seemingly frozen, at him. Edward met her gaze and even from a distance he could see tears tickle her eyelashes. A new pain rose in him. He took a step toward her, to embrace her, he wanted desperately to make her tears go away, he had made her wait so long...

"Kasan!" _Kasan_? The word breezed into Ed's thoughts like a soft wind blows through a meadow. A small girl, no older than three, stumbled through the ring of ashes, pulling a nearly identical boy with her. They both crashed into Winry's legs and latched onto her. Winry's frozen state thawed and she bent down, stroking their heads consolingly. Her hands flew over their arms and legs, checking for injuries.

"Winry," he spoke softly, but his voice seemed loud in the quiet forest. "You're…"

"Ed…" Winry stepped forward, but tripped on her own feet. Roy caught her by the shoulders. He bent close to her, and said something Ed could not hear. He kissed her cheek. Roy lifted the boy, Winry's son, into his arms.

"Go on," said Roy. He gave Winry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Winry began to walk toward Ed.

His brain seemed to be moving slowly. Winry was halfway to him before he understood everything.

"And he's…" Ed motioned vaguely at Mustang.

"Ni-san, wait…" Al touched a staying hand to Edward's arm.

"Why should I?" His voice shook with the force it took to keep himself from rushing at Mustang. Little though he knew he should feel betrayed, he did. In his head, he knew that his night with Winry had been over three years ago. He knew also that he had given up his chance to stay last time, and that even he had thought he would never return to this world. However.

His heart was hurting like it had in France. Worse. He wanted to scream, as loud as he could for as long as he could. And whether it was because he had just traveled between two worlds, or because he felt as though he had been run through with a rusty saw, his legs were trembling so badly he had to grasp the back of Al's coat. Winry reached him. She took his right hand in both of hers. His face flushed with heat. He snatched his hand away and clutched his own chest with it. Under his fingers, he could feel the shape of the tiny box he kept in his left breast pocket, the one that held a pretty little ring. The serrated edges of that saw pierced deeper into his heart. He felt lightheaded with anger.

"You-you're a mother," said Edward, and it surprised him how measured his voice was. "So…did he swoop in right after I left, or did he wait a whole month?" Ed jerked his head in Roy's direction. Winry opened her mouth, but didn't seem to be able to say anything. "I…" Ed continued, "I know I don't have a right to feel this way, but I…" He wanted to vomit now. He wanted to vomit, pass out, and wake up in Germany, or France, or Spain…or Britain…

"I want to go." Ed finished finally. He had barely moved his feet when at last a sound came from Winry's open mouth.

"No!" She grabbed his hand again, and this time she pulled him from where he stood, towards the edge of the circle. To where Roy and the children were.

"Don't," he said firmly. He feared that if he got too close to Roy, he would hit him as hard as he could, regardless of whether he was holding a kid or not. He tried to pull his hand away again. Winry didn't let go this time.

Then, he was standing across from Mustang. He was within arm's reach. And Mustang was _smiling_ at him. He deserved a good punch to the face, a broken nose at least. As though he had read Ed's mind, Al grasped his free hand. Ed jerked a bit. He'd forgotten he was clutching Al's jacket, dragging him around too. Winry turned to face him. She too looked as though she might vomit.

"Ed," she began.

"I don't care! I just don't, Winry! Let me go, both of you…" He wanted to disappear from this place more than anything, however, his legs chose that moment to give out at last. He sat down on the mossy, leaf strewn floor.

"You…look like Papa." The voice didn't sound like anything he had heard before. Edward lifted his heavy head, and found himself at eye-level with the little girl. She was very pretty. Her eyes were precisely the same shade blue as Winry's.

"Show him your necklace, Anna." Winry was sitting beside him now. The girl, Anna pulled a silver oval locket out from inside her dress. She fumbled with the lock for a moment or two, but she opened it.

"This is my papa. See?" She held it out for Ed to see. It took him a moment to focus on the picture, it was so small.

"But that's…" The saw vanished from his chest. His anger went too. His head was coming back to him. Winry laid a hand on his back. Roy knelt down too, and set the little boy on the ground.

"That's me…on my fifthteenth birthday. I'm…I'm 'papa'?" His heart, which had been so wounded moments before, seemed to be trying to leap out of his chest.

"This is Ryan," said Winry gently, leading the boy closer.

"Mine?" Edward choked. His mouth had suddenly gone very dry. His eyes slid from Anna's face to the boy's, Ryan's, and back again, and again.

"And mine," smiled Winry.

"You didn't say anything last time. Really?" Ed knew how stupid it sounded, but he felt like he was floating.

"Really," answered Winry. Edward reached out and touched them both. They were solid, real, _there_. He pulled them both to him. It was wonderful. He closed his eyes and wished to never let them go. Before now, he would never have imagined that he could fall in love so quickly.

The train ride to Resembul was long and silent. Once the shooting stopped, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye were taken in for questioning pending an investigation. Hawkeye had hugged him before apologizing repeatedly to he and Winry for letting Ryan and Anna escape. Ed and Al had been greeted back by a number of the military forces, and a particularly friendly general had told them not to worry about Mustang and Hawkeye because circumstances were good for them. Ed was confused as to why he was so kind. The one time he met the general he had teased the man about his beard (it was a different color than his hair). Including getting the overnight train to make an extra stop, the whole ordeal took about four hours. It could have been longer; Edward had not really been paying any attention.

Now however, Ryan was asleep on Al and Anna was snoring lightly on Ed. Mostly to avoid Winry's gaze, Edward concentrated unusually hard on flicking Anna's locket open and shut. Al played fondly with his nephew's hair.

"They're two." said Winry clearly from the opposite seat. Ed's stomach gave him an uncomfortable nudge. He could feel her clear sea eyes drilling into his skull, hoping for a response. But the only answer she provoked came from Al.

"When is their birthday?" he asked in Edward's place.

"Couple months." she replied, filtering out the disappointment in her voice. "You made it back in time. They love your stories." It was evident she was speaking directly to Ed this time. "You're going to have to tell Ryan about fighting homunculi, he doesn't believe me." But Ed could not conjure a reply. After that one attempt at conversation, nobody made another. Winry took to watching the trees pass by the window and in her stead Al glared at Ed. Edward knew his brother would like very much to kick him right about now. He wanted to kick himself. They should be talking about everything like they used to but...Ed gave the girl in his arms a squeeze. She complicated everything. Edward immediately squashed that thought. It wasn't her fault at all, not a second of it. He kissed her forehead apologetically and brushed a few loose strands behind her ear.

When the train pulled to a stop at Resembul station Winry held out her arms to him.

"I'll take her. Your arms must be tired by now." Ed shifted away from her and said in a slightly childish voice,

"No." Edward felt the need to punch himself again. The first proper thing he said to her was 'no'? That was the best he could manage? Why wouldn't she kill him like she had every right to?

But Winry simply dropped her arms and smiled. She stepped out of the compartment. Ed made to go out but Al pushed him out of the way as hard as he could considering they were both carrying children. Al shot him a disgusted look before jogging down the aisle to catch up with Winry.

"I'm sorry." Edward whispered to Anna. "I'll fix everything as much as I can." On the way to the Rockbell house, Al walked beside Winry and put a comforting arm around her shoulders, speaking in low tones. Whatever they were discussing (he had a good idea what) took a toll on Winry. Al even kissed her cheek. Ed however stubbornly kept at least ten paces behind.

The old yellow house was the same as it had always been. Den perked his ears as they approached and gave Winry a wet kiss. They could have been coming back from a weekend in the city. Al offered to take Anna and Ryan to bed, but Ed shook his head. He had no desire to let go of her so soon. Al gave him another evil look and took Ryan upstairs.

Winry motioned for Edward to sit down on the brown leather couch. He shifted Anna a bit, and sat. Winry took a couple logs from the holder by the fireplace and within a few minutes there was a decent fire crackling in the hearth. She then dragged a blanket off a chair and tucked it around both Edward and Anna. Her eyes shimmered slightly as she did so, but at the same time she wore a small, content smile. She kissed Anna lightly. For a moment, Ed thought she might do the same to him, but instead she sat down in a chair across from them, picked up a book and began to read.

The homely crackling of the fire and the intermittent ruffle of turning pages combined with Anna's small snores seemed to mesh into a perfect rhythm. Edward's eyelids grew steadily heavier. He found it harder and harder to keep them open. All his thoughts trickled into a low buzz deep in his subconscious. However it did occur to him, before he was completely taken by sleep, how unreal waking from a dream was.

A small groan pulled Ed into a fuzzy consciousness. Anna was being carried upward. He reaffirmed his hold on her.

"She has to go lie down properly."

"Al?" The fuzz began to clear. "No, she's okay right here."

"I realize you're trying to make up for lost time Ni-san, but you have other things to tend to." Al's voice was unforgiving. He finally won in taking Anna. Anna wrapped her arms around Al's neck, accepting the change of position.

"Or do you keep that ring on you for nothing?" Al spat, nodding to Winry and turned on his heel back up the stairs.

Winry was curled up in the armchair, her head resting on an arm and her book hanging over her shoulder. She was shivering; the fire was now only spitting random sparks. Edward tossed more wood into the hearth and urged the sparks into a roaring fire once more. He carried the blanket over to Winry and tossed it over her. He knelt on the floor and combed a bit of hair out of her face. She looked more grown-up than when he last saw her. She looked tired, stressed, but also as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was strong. His heart let out a painful cry. Edward bowed, kissed her forehead.

"Good night." he whispered. He went to return to his place on the couch, but a hand closed on his wrist. Winry was sitting up on a slant, her long hair falling around her. She was crying again. Icy needles pricked his gut.

"It makes me happier than you could ever know that you held onto Anna like that." Though his body still screamed, his mind took over.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "I wouldn't have gone back if I'd known." Winry's voice began to fail her, it was difficult to understand her.

"I know. We might be in a war right now if you hadn't. But still, you have every right to be angry." Harsh guilt kneaded his stomach. He felt nauseous, disgusted with himself.

"Please stop crying." he requested. He was tired of seeing pain in her eyes, and knowing he caused it. "Please." he asked again. "I'm not angry. I couldn't be...you did something I've spent nine years paying for; you created life." Edward wrapped his sleeve around his hand and dried her face. "They're amazing."

"I've always thought so," said Winry, wiping her face on the blanket. It didn't seem to be doing any good. No matter how many she wiped away, tears kept falling down her cheek.

"I'm not angry," Ed repeated, "I swear I'm not. It's not like there was much chatting going on last time anyway. We were all really busy with the stuff popping out of the ground and all…y'know?" He attempted a smile.

"Yeah, but…"

"Compared to what I thought had happened…I mean, you saw how I was."

Winry reached down from her seat, wrapped her arms around Edward's neck and said once more,

"Welcome back." As if it were the sign he'd been waiting for, Ed drew his arms closed around her waist and leaned powerfully into her lips. Winry slid out of the armchair and into his lap with a quiet _thunk_. She gave a soft sound that made his heart soar. He ran his hands into her hair, feeling it in handfuls. He breathed deep, letting her scent of oil and sawdust fill him. He drew one hand out of her hair, and felt the rest of her body, needing to make sure she was truly there. She seemed to be doing the same with him. She was gripping his back so tightly that he could feel her nails beginning to break skin, even through his shirt. He deepened the kiss just a little more before…

"Ed," Winry broke away. She looked seriously at him, and although she was no longer crying, her eyes were still watery, and a bit red.

"What's wrong?"

"It was only one night, over three years ago. Just because we have kids doesn't mean—"

"You're insane!" Ed gaped. Winry looked taken aback.

"I just want you to know—"

"Do you know how many times I've woken up, thinking I was back here with you, only to realize I was laying on a train seat on my way to Italy?" Edward interrupted again. "I want to be here, with you, and I'd want that even if the kids weren't here."

Winry stood up and held out her hand. Ed took it.

"Third room on the right, right?" Winry nodded. Ed scooped Winry into his arms and dashed up the stairs two at a time.

Edward shivered and rolled over, pulling the blankets up around his neck. He had forgotten how cold Risembul could be in the morning. Or was it Risembul? He could've sworn he got back last night, really got back. But then, he had had dreams like that before. Yes, when he opened his eyes, he would be in a French motel. Any minute now, Al would come bursting in with fresh croissants and announce breakfast. There was one way to be sure. In his dream, he had gone to bed with Winry. He patted the sheets all the way to the edge, but that's all there was: sheets. That settled it. Dream. His heart fell. He had honestly believed…his dream had been so real. He rolled into the middle of the bed. His eyes started prickling against his will. There had been children in that dream. His children. He reached toward the outer regions of the bed, as if reaching for sleep to come back to him, take him back to his dream. Then, strangely, he felt another person in the bed with him. Had Al not gone out this morning? No…Al was less curvy than this person, and he knew for a fact that Al never went to bed in a thin cotton dress. Ed inched closer to the person. He started to smell sawdust and oil. He felt long hair under his finger tips.

Carefully, Ed opened his eyes. On the very edge of the bed, nearly falling off, was Winry. She was sleeping soundly. A storm of relief and gratitude rushed over Ed.

"Hey," he whispered. He kissed her neck and ran a hand along her stomach. She stirred. She kissed his lips sleepily, without opening her eyes. Ed smiled. It felt weird, like he hadn't smiled since the last time he was in Risembul.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" he cooed in Winry's ear again. "You scared me for a bit there." This time Winry answered, though she didn't open her eyes.

"I like it over here, so what?" A grin played on her lips.

"So what if I like you over there?"

"Whatcha goin' do 'bout it?" slurred Winry. Ed hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her to the center of the bed. Winry giggled loudly. She opened her eyes, and looked at him for a few moments. Then, she leaned forward and gave him a long kiss.

"Morning," she said, smiling.

"I have to wake up with you more often."

"Mm-hmm." Ed touched her face, and moved in to kiss her again.

Several footsteps pattered to the room

"Wait for her to wake up, guys." He heard Al say in hushed tones, "Don't..." It was too late. Ryan and Anna broke in and took a running jump on to the bed. Al chased them, but halted halfway in.

"Ni-san?" said Al as though it was a minor miracle Ed was there. Al covered it up with a smile however.

"Papa," said Ryan enthusiastically, "Al said you really did fight homa...homuniak..."

"Homunculus?" Edward offered. Ryan nodded. "Yep, I did." The boy's eyes grew wide in awe.

"Told you." said Anna in a singsong voice.

"Why don't you tell them our version Ni-san?" suggested Al lightly. Edward thought for a moment on this. He was not sure how to translate their search for the Stone into a children's story. Winry seemed to notice this and said,

"Well, you guys know that Al was trapped in a big suit of armor, right? And the only people who knew how to get him out were the Homunculus." She paused, giving Ed a pointed look. Ed continued uncertainly,

"Yeah, but they didn't want to give us the secret because...er..."

"They wanted the secret for themselves so they could become human." Al finished.

"How many were there?" asked Ryan excitedly.

"Let's see..." Edward counted them off on his fingers, "There was that old guy with the eye," he opened his left eye with his fingers to indicate the Fuhrer, "the fat one, the nails lady..." Ed flicked his fingers in imitation of Lust. "...that one that looked like a girl, what?" Al stood amused at the end of the bed. Winry was sniggering into his shoulder. She kissed his neck.

"Nothing. I love you." Edward felt his face turn red and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, there were seven in all..." Throughout the rest of the story Anna bombarded him with questions. For someone who was originally ecstatic about homunculus however, Ryan kept strangely quiet.

Happiness was something he had not truly felt in a very long time. Edward felt that nothing could intrude on it. He thought that even if someone told him King Bradley was alive and plotting to destroy the current government, he could brush it off as no big deal and take care of it in the morning. Edward trotted down to the basement where he knew Winry was working.

"Hi." he greeted cheerily, sat down on one of those spinning stools, and twirled back and forth.

"Where are the kids?" asked Winry casually.

"Torturing Al. Hey, I was thinking you should close shop again tomorrow and we can go see Mustang in a jail cell. There's a train leaving for East City at five." Winry grinned broadly.

"Somehow I don't think Roy would like that. Besides, Ryan and Anna have a playdate today with the Anson's son, David." said Winry, tightening a bolt in a steel hip.

"Anson?" asked Ed, "That name sounds familiar."

"Don't you remember Billie Anson? He was a few years older than us but we played sometimes." A revolted grimace grew on Ed's face.

"That jerk? He used to wipe his snotty nose on my alchemy books. Who in their right mind would marry him?" Winry giggled.

"The one who always yelled at him for it, Mary Lawrence."

"Al will be disappointed; he had a crush on her." Edward grinned. "But I guess everyone's changed a lot. It's kinda sad."

"Yeah..." Winry checked a watch in her pocket. "It's time to go. Want to walk them over with me?"

"Sure, I'll—is that?" Ed had caught a glimpse of the watch when Winry put it back in her pocket. It had the military emblem on it. Winry pulled it back out and unclasped it from her belt loop.

"It's yours. The military found it when they were cleaning up Lior. I fixed the hook on it. Even with alchemy you'll find it difficult to get it stuck again." She handed it to him. "You'll need it now that you're back." Edward took it and tucked it into his pocket. To be honest, he was not sure if he would continue being a State Alchemist. Now that Al was back in his body there was really no reason to be a dog of the military anymore. Then again, he had no idea what else to do. He did not think there were any jobs for him outside of alchemy. That being said, he did not know what to study even inside alchemy. All his efforts before were to find the Philosopher's Stone, he had never specialized. Also, State Alchemists were required to travel and move. Not yet twenty-four hours ago he had found out that he had a family...he could not leave.

"Ed? We need to go round them up." said Winry and for the moment, Ed decided to put the issue to rest. He stood up.

"Yeah."

Fifteen minutes later, Ed was leaning on the banister, panting. Ryan and Anna created a game out of his attempts to get them ready. It resembled hide and seek tag. Ryan would hide one shoe while Anna waved another in the air and ran. Edward eventually found one shoe of each pair and three socks. He could hear Anna giggling around the corner and Ryan shushing at her. He grinned, and grabbing a blanket crept halfway up the stairs. When Ryan and Anna came sneaking around the corner Ed dropped the blanket over them and, leaping over the railing to the floor, clapped his hands and transmuted a wooden cage out of the floor. He then snatched up the ends of the blanket and held it triumphantly.

"Ed!" said Winry, astounded as she walked into the hall.

"Look, I caught them!" he said proudly, shaking his child sack. Winry burst. She fell into the wall from laughing. A minute later she wiped tears out of her eyes.

"Put them down." she said, grinning broadly. Ed did, Anna and Ryan rolled out in the makeshift pen. He chucked their shoes in. The kids each pulled on a sock (they were already wearing the other) and a shoe.

"Return the floor to normal please." said Winry after the twins were ready. Ed did.

"Are you guys ready to go? We're already late." Ryan nodded but Anna pulled something out of the pocket of her red-checkered sundress.

"Kasan, it broke when me and Ryan were running from otousan." She opened her hand. The chain her locket hung on was broken. Winry looked at it closely.

"I'll fix it later Anna, we're late." Anna looked disheartened. Edward bent down her eyelevel and held out his hand.

"I can fix it for you." he said kindly. Anna held her hand out. Ed tapped his palms together and touched the chain. In a short burst of blue light the chain melted back together. Anna smiled and put it back on.

"Thank you!" she chirped. Edward kissed the top of her head.

"You're very welcome."

"Should I call the Anson's and tell them we're not coming?" asked Winry impatiently.

It was weird walking down the paths of Resembul. Only in his deepest and most rare dreams had he been allowed to stroll the streets. But here he was. After constant insistence from his son, Edward carried Ryan in his left arm. He had been reluctant only because of the heat of the afternoon. He found himself vaguely wondering why he had decided to wear long sleeves. Winry was smart. She wore a tank top. Anna clutched Winry's hand loosely. She had tried to hold Edward's free hand, but couldn't because it was his right and the metal was avidly drinking the heat.

Winry rang the doorbell. A fully-grown Billie Anson opened the door. He had reached a considerable height. Ed was taken slightly aback by the sight of his adult child-hood friend.

"Hi Winry, yo—Ed?" Ed waved his free hand.

"Billie." Billie gave a shout of laughter.

"We all thought you were gone for good! It's been way too long! How old are you now?"

"Nineteen..." he answered awkwardly. Billie's laugh stopped.

"Nineteen?" Billie repeated. "I thought you'd be taller by now." Ed almost dropped Ryan.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIING A SHORTY MIDGET BEAN, SNOT WIPER?!"

"You haven't changed a bit..." Ed set Ryan down and folded his arms.

"There are pages in my book I could never get unstuck because of you." accused Ed. Gesturing to Ed with his thumb Billie said,

"You actually like this guy Winry?" Winry smiled and hugged his waist.

"I love him." she said cheerfully. Ed felt a swooping sensation in his stomach.

"So, you guys wanna come in and visit?" Billie offered.

"Not me, I've got lots of work to get done." said Winry, shaking her head. Billie turned his attention to Ed.

"What about you? We can have a drink and catch up." Again Billie caught Ed off guard. Maybe it was the casual way he said it. It seemed classic, two old friends drinking and talking while their kids played in the yard. He didn't think he was ready for that.

"Uh, no. Another time maybe." No, never. He did not think it would sit well with him.

"Alright. Anna, Ryan, come in. David's waiting in the den. Hey Ryan, are you alright?" Ryan was standing rigid, his hands balled into fists.

"Ryan?" asked Winry gently. Ryan looked close to tears.

"Otousan." Ryan whispered stiffly. "When Kasan says 'I love you', why don't you answer?" The air was struck dumb. Billie's cheerful disposition dissolved. Winry's hand dropped from Edward's belt. Ed reached out to Ryan, but he shied away.

"Ryan..." said Anna sadly. She took her brother's hand and led him inside. Billie looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's better that you're not coming in Ed...I'll bring them home about eight or so...um....er...I'll just leave you guys alone." And shut the door.


	20. Orders

Chapter 20 is it? Oo. Alrighty then, chapter 21 and the final chapter of 'Redemption' will be posted tomorrow. I say this with a guarantee since I've already written it. If I do not post it tomorrow, that means I either 1) don't have an internet connection or 2) I died. The last chapter is quite short but quite important. In the event I do not wish to write one of these little updates tomorrow (probably because I'll be filled with self-hatred), I will inform everyone now that on Tuesday I will begin posting 'Alchemist; Be Thou for the People'. I say this with a relative guarantee because I'm going to start writing it tonight. I would not be posting a sequel if I didn't think I couldn't make it good, just so you know. Ready? Steady? Go. (haha, I had to.)

* * *

There was never a more deadly silence. Edward kept a pace behind Winry when they returned to the road. Her walk was dulled somewhat, but other than that he did not know because her hair hid her face. He simply followed her. He could not think of anything to say that did not sound stupid. Well, actually he could, but he knew it would never come out. Especially not over the echo of Ryan's small voice in his head. His tone and every painful syllable burned in his skull. Ed thought back to his own previous hatred toward Hohenheim. He knew very well that anger only escalated. He knew very well that he never wanted Anna and Ryan to see the same sadness in her eyes that Ed had seen in his mother's. He didn't want there to be any.

Den trotted to them as they approached. Ed's heart sank when Winry gave him a simple pat on the head and Den, expecting a more enthusiastic welcome, stopped wagging his tail. It fell even further when he saw the military jeep outside.

"Winry, they let me out pending a hearing, but I don't think it's anything to worry about and I thought I'd wait it out here. Is that o...kay?" Roy placed his hands concernedly on Winry's shoulders. She smiled damply.

"Of course you can stay here. I'm fine; I just have a lot of work to get done. I'm making Ed a new arm; his has gotten some bruises over the years. I'll see you later." And climbed into her basement workshop. She did not even stop to say hello to Al when he waved at her.

"Winry, I'm going to go get stuff for dinner, is there anything you..." Al trailed off. He shot Ed a deathly glare and followed Winry downstairs.

Roy threw him into the wall with such intensity that all air was forced out of his lungs. Mustang was seething. His jaw was working furiously and the fist on Ed's collar was white. He seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of punching Edward. After a long moment, Roy decided it was not worth it, let go of Ed's collar and backed off. Roy did not yell, although Ed wished he would. A sarcastic remark from Mustang would be an easy blow. He had no such luck. Roy simply mumbled,

"I'm going to unpack." And strode away.

Edward searched the house until he found the library. He picked up a book at random, began to read and tried to ignore that he was not good enough for Mustang to insult.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"An Introduction to Alchemy?" Al read aloud, snapping Ed out of his doze. "An alchemy genius like you doesn't need this."

"I was away from this stuff for much longer than you." reminded Ed. "Besides, there are some good times with this book."

"Oh, Ni-san..." Al's face suddenly became much more serious. "I'm sorry..." Ed had a sinking feeling.

"What'd she say?" he struggled to ask. Part of him did not want to know.

"Winry didn't say anything about you and her. She's worried about you and your son." Al said this rather stiffly. "I'm not. You'll be a good father Ni-san, no matter what. You love Winry?" His stomach flopped. "Maybe you should stop hiding that ring in your jacket." said Al without waiting for Edward to answer.

"You and Ryan will never have the same relationship as you and otousan. You're here, and you need to stop thinking you're going to hurt everyone because by thinking that you actually are hurting them." Al said it all in one breath. Ed would never cease to be amazed by how much insight Al had into his mind.

"Ni-san, it's not as bad as it seems. In fact, it is easily remedied, so stop sulking. Anyway, I really do have to go get food for dinner." On that note Al clambered out of the room.

-----------------------------------------------------

But Edward did not go see Winry. Not immediately anyway. Whether it was to stall in order to think of something to say or because he felt he needed to do it, he went and found Roy Mustang. Edward walked onto the patio ledge where Roy was leaning over the railing. Mustang turned his eyes serenely on him but did not speak. Ed had the impression he was being targeted with the silent treatment.

"I owe you a lot." said Edward with difficulty. Roy clapped Ed on the shoulder.

"You'd better stick around this time Fullmetal. I didn't bring you back so you could screw things up. If I find her crying because of you one more time, I'll kick you out myself. That's what I'd be doing right now if I didn't know Winry would murder me. Lucky for you, you can fix it easily."

"You're like an overprotective father." Mustang looked around in a mock search.

"Eh? Where'd Ed go? He's still so short, I can't find him." Ed hit Roy lightly (somewhat lightly) on the arm.

"Don't be sarcastic. It's already hard enough to ask you for permission." Roy stopped his sarcastic search.

"Permission?" Edward smirked.

"If you're her overprotective father, then I've got to ask you, right? For your daughter's hand." Whatever Ed had thought would happen next was nothing close to what Roy did. Roy stared at him for a moment, then let out a ringing burst of laughter and flung his arms crushingly around Edward's torso, lifted him far off the ground and danced in place.

"What'd you do, Ni-san?" Al and Winry were both standing at the entrance to the patio. Winry leaned coolly against the doorframe, oil on her face and a glass of water in her hand, looking as though she was putting forth all her effort to not laugh. Roy dropped Ed. Edward stumbled a bit before he caught his balance.

"You're back already Al?" he asked to avoid telling them why Roy had hugged him.

"No, Winry caught me before I went. She suggested we all go out. Anna and Ryan won't be back for another three hours. That's enough time to take the train into the nearest city and back."

"We should celebrate Roy's temporary freedom." Winry chuckled and a drink of water from her glass. "I just need to clean up a bit."

"Why do you say 'temporary'?" asked Roy, feigning hurt.

"You're bound to end up in jail sooner or later." Al joked.

"Actually, there is a condition on which I was released." Roy's tone turned business-like, "I have to relay a message to you Fullmetal. It includes you as well Winry, so listen up. The military wants the Fullmetal Alchemist back on duty as possible. Frankly, we need you. Scar created just as many friends as he did enemies. There is a group dedicated to his cause that has been quietly gathering since Scar's death. They just came to our attention three months ago, which means they're becoming large enough to challenge the military; and they will. I don't have to tell you what will happen if Ishbalan terrorists attack the military." Roy finished darkly.

"What do you need me for?" asked Ed genuinely. How could he possibly stop Ishbalan terrorists?

"Ever since people saw the flying machine that appeared when you did last time, the military has been attempting to design ones of our own. Last week there was a robbery in the information department. Those designs were stolen. Preliminary investigations point to the Ishbalan terrorist cell. You spent a great deal of time studying these machines and besides, the people see you as a mediator between them and the military. You are still widely talked about and admired. Needless to say, it would be an enormous help if you returned to being a State Alchemist."

"What did you tell them?" said Ed.

"That you hadn't decided if you were going back to the military or not." answered Roy. "Of course, you don't have only yourself and your brother to think about anymore." Mustang nodded to Winry.

"I can't be back for a week before the military tries to recruit me, can I?" It was rather annoying. Then again, the military never could manage anything on its own.

"We wouldn't be asking if it weren't urgent." Roy replied. "We need an answer in the next three days."

"I suppose..." Winry chimed in thoughtfully, taking another sip of water, "I could close the shop for awhile...there's a decent automail shop in the next town for the customers. And it's not like we're short on cash. We could all go to Central. If we needed to leave, Anna and Ryan could stay with Gracia and Elicia."

"Winry—" Ed started.

"Shut up, I'd be able to help you and you know it. You wouldn't have to call, begging me to come to Central because you broke your arm. Besides, Anna and Ryan would really like Central's schools and libraries. They're much more advanced than what we have here."

"She's right." Mustang affirmed, "You'd be eligible for military housing as well. We're talking about preventing another civil war."

"I guess..." He wished he had been able to relax a little longer, get to know his home again.

"This isn't a time to be indecisive Fullmetal," Roy lectured sternly, "We've got to move as quickly as possible on this and—WINRY!"

--------------------------------------------

Winry's glass shattered. She grasped at Al's jacket as she crashed to the floor. Edward overturned tables and chairs as he scrambled to the door.

"What happened?" Roy shouted at Al.

"I don't know, she didn't make a sound or anything..."

"WINRY!" Edward shook her body roughly to wake her. Roy pressed two fingers against her neck and a hand to her chest.

"She doesn't have a pulse, she's not breathing!" Ed laid her down again, compressed and released her lungs evenly, repeatedly, but Winry did not open her eyes.

"Fullmetal..." Roy placed a halting hand on Edward's arm. He did not stop. "Fullmetal, she's—"

"NO!" Edward clapped his hands together. He did it before, he brought Al back.

"Ni-san!" Al grabbed his left wrist and tore it back. "Ryan and Anna...!" His racing heart began to slow. His hands dropped to her pale face. It had been smiling a minute ago.

"No..." He picked her limp body out of the broken glass. "...no..."

So there it is. Winry Rockbell died in the arms of her love as the sun laid to rest in the mountains.


	21. Death

The graveyard was speckled with blue military uniforms. Silver trumpets caroled a mournful tune, but Edward could not hear them. His entire world was trapped inside the casket at his side. He twinged as a sharp wind struck his raw face. He wanted nothing more than for everyone to leave.

The trumpets lowered, glinting in the crisp afternoon sun. A minister of sorts stepped up to speak. Ed did not listen. He only held Ryan's collar to keep him from ambushing the makeshift podium. He could hear Anna crying quietly in Al's arms next to him. He dared not look at her. He almost regretted bringing them. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Fullmetal," said Roy gently, "It's over. They're waiting for your signal." Ed glanced at the four officers standing ready to lower the casket.

"No." he answered, "No, tell everyone to go home. I'll do it later. Al," Al looked up. His lip was bleeding where he bit it too hard. Edward picked Ryan up and slid him into Al's free arm.

"Take them home. They shouldn't be here." For a moment it seemed as though Al might protest, but then nodded.

"Otousan, when are you coming?" Ed stroked Anna's neatly braided hair.

"In a little bit."

But a little bit turned into a while, and a while turned into hours. At least, that is what it felt like to him. He could have been standing there for five minutes or five days and it still would not have mattered. He must have shaken over a dozen hands, heard dozens of empty condolences as people filed out. That did not matter either. His mind was a wreck with conflicting feelings. He was glad to be alone at last, but at the same time wanted to run to Al and pour out his thoughts, worries, and sorrow. No, not Al...he could not pile that on his brother. It then occurred to him that, for the first time in his life, he wanted Hohenheim, his father.

A hand came to rest firmly on his shoulder. Edward turned to ask Al why he was not with Anna and Ryan, but it was not Al.

"I thought you left." said Ed dully.

"Tried. Couldn't." answered Mustang in an equally hollow voice.

"Thank you. For all that." Edward motioned to the wide space to show he meant the military procession.

"I'm not sure she would have liked it."

"She would have appreciated the sentiment." Ed told him. There was a long silence between the two men. It seemed there was nothing left to say, yet a great deal to say and neither knew which to say first.

"I keep thinking about Anna and Ryan." said Ed finally. "How many memories do you have from when you were two?" When Roy did not reply he continued, "They won't remember her, even if I tell them every day."

"Here, drink this." Roy handed him a bottle. Without knowing or really caring what it was, Edward drank it. The liquid burned his throat, but it sent a warming sensation all the way to his numb toes, so he took another swig.

"Fullmetal, she gave you legs to walk forward with."

"I think I'm finally tired of walking. I just want to rest."

"I've never heard you talk like that before." The surprise in Roy's voice was unmistakable. Perhaps he expected Edward to chant words of perseverance as he had in the past. But Edward meant what he said. He felt stuck, empty, dead.

"She wasn't your..." he whispered the last word, "...wife." Roy's hand tightened on his shoulder.

"No, she wasn't." Edward took a small box out of his pocket. He brushed a bit of fuzz off the velvet cover and flicked it open. Nestled safely inside was the ring he had bough not two weeks ago. The diamond and her two sapphire sisters twinkled sadly at him so he closed the top on them.

"I love her. I couldn't say it, but I do. She was stronger than me." Ed moved out of Roy's grip and lifted the heavy top of the oak casket. Winry had been dressed in white. On each side a piece of her hair was braided with baby's breath and her hands lay clasped on her stomach. She did not look dead. Instead, she looked as if she were waiting for her prince. But that only happened in fairy tales.

Edward Elric placed the velvet box upon her breast softly saying,

"My heart is yours."

* * *

_Redemption: Fine_


End file.
